Fatal Friendship
by daxy
Summary: Following Deadly Obsessions; Horatio is recovered and back at work, but attempts at his life keep happening, which makes him realize that his stalker from before wasn't working alone. While the team struggles to find out who keeps wanting Horatio dead, they also realize that someone from within is working against them. Meanwhile Natalia has some news.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Following Deadly Obsessions; Horatio is recovered and back at work, but attempts at his life keep happening, which makes him realize that his stalker from before wasn't working alone.** **While the team struggles to find out who keeps wanting Horatio dead, they also start to realize that someone from within is working against them. Meanwhile Natalia has some delightful, yet worrying news to share with her lover.**

 **Author's Note: This is a sequel to Deadly Obsessions and for the those who read the end of it they know that Ryan is working against the team. I love Ryan Wolfe, but unfortunately in this story he is one of the semi- bad guys.**

-I-

With the cover of darkness it was easy slipping into the run-down apartment building. He was dressed in black clothes all over and the hood of his jacket hid his face from passers-by. His heart was beating fast and he had to stop several times to take deep breaths and calm down. Meeting his boss wasn't something he enjoyed doing; he was a dangerous and intimidating man. One look at him was enough to show anyone that this was one man you did not mess with. That's why he had managed to build such a large criminal empire in his home town in Georgia. And he had managed to stay hidden and anonymous for many years; always having someone else do the dirty work for him. Anyone tried to snitch and they would find themselves with their lives shortened quickly.

The Boss's methods of execution were cruel and obviously inspired from the medieval ages. His favorite according to rumors was burying people alive. Ryan shuddered at the thought of being buried alive. Fortunately for him, the Boss wasn't angry at him; at least not at the moment. Ryan wondered how long that would last. Ryan knew he could only try to resist for so long and then he'd either have to commit one hundred percent to the Boss or pay the consequences.

As he reached the right apartment he could hear the hard thumping of his heart in his ears. He knocked on the door and waited. A big, muscular man opened and beckoned him inside. In the living room, counting bags of drugs and stacks of money was the Boss.

"Ah, Ryan! Nice of you to make it." He said, "As you can see I've had another successful business deal done today."

"Yes... uh, congratulations." Ryan hesitated.

"Hmm... yes. Certainly." The Boss grinned.

He beckoned Ryan to follow him into the kitchen and handed the young man a beer.

"I'm a bit disappointed about the fact that Lieutenant Caine is still very much alive. Perhaps using a psychotic woman wasn't the best approach. I had hoped it would have helped it look like an unfortunate case of an obsession turned deadly; rather than making it look like a professional hit." The Boss sighed, "But, I now think I need to take more drastic actions."

"Such as?" Ryan asked.

"Well, I've got a lot of uh... servants you could call them, under my command. Thugs that wish they were bigger and better. I'm going to offer some of them the opportunity to rise in the ranks."

"You're going to make them kill him?" Ryan asked.

"Oh yes, absolutely. I know some of them thugs work for MDPD, so it shouldn't be too hard." The Boss smirked, "Lieutenant Caine might just be attacked at a crime scene. After all, it happens that they are not always searched properly doesn't it? And it helps that I am not the only one who wishes him gone. He has a lot of enemies. One day someone might just get him off the streets."

Ryan took a deep breath. He didn't want Horatio to die. He just didn't have a choice. But then he thought of how happy Natalia and Horatio were now that they were together and had just moved in together. And Kyle... he would be without a father.

"Why not just hurt him bad enough that he has to quit the job?" Ryan asked; it was a risky question and the Boss was famous for not wanting to be questioned about his ideas.

"My dear boy, that man will never stop. And even if he couldn't work as a cop anymore, he'd still be behind the scenes offering his advice and consult on cases." The Boss chuckled, "No, I want him dead."

"What part do I play in this?" Ryan asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Surely the Boss couldn't be thinking that Ryan was supposed to kill Horatio? Ryan could never do that. It was already bad enough that he knew all this information and did nothing to give it to the team. He was already in so deep that he would spend the rest of his life in prison if he was ever caught.

"I just want you to make sure that no evidence leads back to me. And if possible, doesn't lead back to whoever kills him." The Boss said, "Although, the people I've talked to know the risks of spending the rest of their lives in jail. Still, it wouldn't hurt to make it just a bit harder for the team to find the evidence they need to put someone away."

"I'll do my best." Ryan said.

The Boss looked at him. He could see that Ryan wasn't fond of this. That he hated the situation he was in. But he had a good hold on him. After all; if Ryan refused he would have to watch two people he loved be executed and then die himself.

Ryan could sense that the meeting was over, so he excused himself and left the apartment. When he was outside he sank down on the ground and breathed hard. Fuck! He was in too deep. He was never going to get out of this situation and it was all his fault.

Finally getting up, he looked around before leaving the area. He would just have to pretend that everything was fine and pray to god that nobody succeeded in killing Horatio. And he'd also pray that he wasn't caught messing with the evidence. He wasn't sure he could handle the thought of the team seeing him as a traitor.

-I-

Arms wrapped around Horatio as he stood in the steaming shower. It was late and he had been called in to help the night shift with a case. He smiled and turned around to face Natalia.

"Good evening." He said and gave her a deep kiss.

"I missed you." She smiled, "I am so used to sleeping with out next to me, that I can't really do it when you're not here."

"Me too. But I'm here now." Horatio smiled.

Together they showered and kissed. In the end they made love in the shower and then fell exhausted into bed. Horatio spooned his girlfriend from behind and could feel his eyelids starting to get heavy.

The last eight months had been heaven for them. They had moved in together just a week ago and Horatio so very much loved coming home to a house that he shared with someone he loved. Gone were the lonely nights and quiet house.

He was also happy because his son was finally back in Miami full-time. Kyle was now attending the police academy and would be finished in a few months. Kyle had told him that at first some people had expected Kyle to be some sort of investigative- genius because of who his father was. But all that had eventually gone away as they had all got to know Kyle for who he was.

Horatio could not be more proud though; even if part of him had hoped that Kyle would have chosen a less dangerous line of work. He was truly proud of his boy.

"Penny for your thoughts." Natalia said sleepily.

"I am just thinking of how happy I am with you and with Kyle." Horatio said, "I love you."

"I love you too." Natalia smiled and gave him a kiss.

Both of them were exhausted and eventually feel asleep. Completely unaware that across town Ryan was hearing how his friend would be killed and that he would have to destroy evidence connecting the Boss to the crimes.

Horatio, who trusted Ryan with his life, had no idea just how dangerous that could be.

 _ **To be continued**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 2**

As a few days passed Ryan grew increasingly nervous. Whenever he knew that Horatio was at a crime scene, either with Ryan or with someone else; he was just waiting for the news that the redhead was either hurt or killed. With each passing day Ryan just grew more and more panicked. He knew that it could happen at any time now.

And he was feeling absolutely miserable. He knew about the threat to Horatio and could say nothing. He might be the one to have to tell Kyle that his father was dead and Natalia that her boyfriend was never going to sleep in the same bed as her ever again. He was walking around with constant stomach aches and sometimes he would almost hyperventilate from the stress of carrying around all those secrets. But he could say anything! They'd be dead if he did! He had people he loved too and they were dead if he talked. Many nights he had contemplated just shooting himself instead. Surely then everything would be alright. Then he would realize that no; Horatio would still be killed even if Ryan was not around to witness it.

The Boss was nothing if not a patient and relentless man. He could wait for results for quite some time and he never gave up. The only way to stop him was to kill him... and why hadn't Ryan thought of that before? He had had the opportunity days ago to just get it over with and kill the fucker. But he hadn't... why? Because he was afraid for the people he loved and care about. Because he was afraid for his own life. Because his mind and soul had been completely taken over by this bulldog from Georgia. This charismatic and lethal man; that was not one to accept a failure or take a no from his subordinates.

"Earth to Wolfe... please come in?" Eric said, "Calling CSI Wolfe, please respond."

Eric chuckled and waved his hand in front of his friend's face. Ryan jumped and snapped out of his trance.

"What up Ryan? You've been acting weird for some time now, but this week has been even weirder." Eric said, "What happened? You spilled coffee at home in a place where you can't clean it up?" He teased.

"No, just got distracted that's all." Ryan said and rolled his eyes.

"Oh... what's her name?"

"What?"

"The distraction, what's her name? Or his?" Eric smirked.

"It's not a person."

"A dog?"

"No."

"Cat?" Eric asked, "You're more of a hamster kind of a guy."

"Is there a reason for you disturbing me when I'm analyzing trace?" Ryan sighed.

"Yes, to point out the fact that the machine has printed out the result fifteen minutes ago and you've been sitting here daydreaming in the meantime." Eric said, "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah, super." Ryan said and grabbed the sheet of paper with his results on it.

"You know, you can talk to me if you need to. I'm your friend." Eric said and patted his shoulder.

Ryan nodded and watched Eric leave. He felt like crying. He was a complete traitor and all everyone did was treat him good. They had no idea! God, how could he have been so stupid to get messed up with people like the Boss? He was such an idiot who never learned from his mistakes. And he didn't have to pay for his fucking mistakes either. Only everyone around him had to do that. He was such a failure.

-I-

Horatio and Calleigh had been working together for more than ten years. They didn't even need to talk when they were processing crime scenes. They were so in sync that it was almost scary sometimes. They had been called to an apparent gang shooting with one dead. Doctor Loman had already taken care of the body, so while Calleigh collected bullets and tried to figure out the different trajectories, Horatio collected trace and DNA. He found a semi-smashed phone and some hair, fibers, fingernails and a calendar.

"Either our killer is really careless or all these things belong to our dead guy." Horatio said, when he had bagged and tagged everything.

"Well, he sure isn't a good shoot. According to my preliminary findings I'd say the victim was caught unaware; standing in the middle of the room. Yet our shooter missed him several times."

"Beginner maybe." Horatio suggested.

"Small caliber gun too." Calleigh said, "He wasted almost the whole clip and only hit our victim once."

"Hmm... we should check with homicide and the gang unit to see if their informants have any information on new gang members wanting to climb up the career ladder." Horatio said.

The continued searching the crime scene; to make sure that nothing was left behind. When they started packing up Horatio sensed Calleigh freeze suddenly. Then he felt the gun to the back of his head. He stood up slowly and turned to face a young Hispanic male.

"Hello there, are you our shooter perhaps?" He asked.

"I ain't saying." The man growled and saw Calleigh reach for her gun, "Don't move bitch or he gets a bullet!"

Calleigh lifted her hands up to show that they were clean and she had no gun. She was hoping that the officers outside would hear what was going on and call for backup.

"How did you get back at the scene?" Horatio asked.

"Those fucking pigs outside are busy smoking, they don't watch when someone climbs over the back fence." The man said, "They're too busy being lazy."

"I see. And the purpose of this is?" Horatio asked.

"What?"

"Why did you come back? Why aim a gun at me?" Horatio asked, "We had no idea who you were until now? We didn't even have a suspect yet. You showing up like this makes us think you committed this murder."

"Well, sometimes you got to one thing to get another thing done."

"So that's a yes then." Horatio said.

Calleigh had a gut feeling that this man had come back for something else. He had had no reason to return to the crime scene and risk being arrested... unless... he was after Horatio.

-I-

Eric was a fast runner and that was good news when something was going on. He found Natalia, Ryan and Walter in the break room having lunch and was panting when he reached them.

"Quick! Cal and H are at a crime scene and some guy just showed up and is pointing a gun at H's head." Eric exclaimed.

They followed Eric immediately to a hummer. On the way they found out that Frank had called Eric and told him that officers at the crime scene had heard yelling and cursing from inside the house where the victim had been killed. They had found Calleigh and Horatio in danger. Horatio had a gun pointed directly at his head and Calleigh was unable to do anything about it as she then risked Horatio getting shot.

On the drive there, Natalia was trying to remain calm and not think about the possibility that her lover would not come home with here tonight. As a cop and CSI she was trained to see the reality of dangerous situations and accept that sometimes the most unhappy outcome was also the most likely one. But as a human being and in love with Horatio she just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that his life was on the line in that very moment.

In the backseat Ryan was sweating and trying not to panic. He couldn't have a panic attack right now and expect no one to question why later. He tried to remind himself that Horatio was like a super human who always seemed to walk away without a scratch even from the most unlikely situations. Except for eight months ago when he had been stabbed of course.

But Horatio could talk down almost any criminal they met. He could fight and he was just as dangerous as some of the people they arrested.

As they arrived the scene it became apparent that the house was surrounded by cops and they could hear cursing and yelling from inside. They took up positions around the house and Ryan had a clear view of what was happening. He had the thug right in his line of fire; his gun aimed at the man's back. But he was afraid to shoot. What if the thug got off a shot at H? What if the Boss found out that Ryan had killed Horatio's assassin?

"You're surrounded now, son." Horatio said calmly.

"I ain't your fucking son!"

"Okay, sorry about that. But this isn't going to end well." Horatio said, "The minute you shoot me you'll have at least ten bullets hit you as well. None of us would make it out alive."

"No, but I would have done my job!"

"And what job is that? Killing me?"

"Yeah, pig! You're fucking dead anyway. Dead man walking." The man growled.

He was getting nervous. He knew what he had signed up for. But he had a mother and little sister to take care of. The money that he had been promised was too good to turn down though. It would mean that his mother and sister would have everything they needed for years to come. But he was so young himself. He had never been to jail and the first time he had killed someone was this morning when he had shot his own cousin just to lure the cops to the place. Hoping that the redhead would be one of the CSIs to show up.

He had been offered the job to kill the redhead. But as he looked into those blue eyes he felt his motivation away. He'd be locked up for the rest of his life if he made it out. And the pig was right... the minute he pulled the trigger, the other cops would do the same to him.

And then what? All that money for what? If he wasn't alive there was no reason for anyone to give the money to his family. Had that been the idea from the beginning? Have him take out the redhead and be taken out himself? What the fuck...

"I need the money." He said, slightly lowering the gun.

"I can help you. But you need to put the gun down." Horatio said.

He could see the determination failing in the man's eyes. He wasn't so sure that he wanted to kill Horatio anymore.

"Please, just lower the gun and we'll talk-"

Horatio never got to finish as a gunshot was heard.

 _ **To be continued**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 3**

Everyone were too shocked to move for a second and then Horatio snapped out of it and bent down to feel a pulse on the body. The unnamed man that had just seconds ago been contemplating to kill him was now dead. Shot through the neck. One look at Ryan told Horatio that the young man had been the one to pull the trigger. Ryan looked shocked; almost as he was unaware that he had just shot someone.

"Ryan?" Horatio approached him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just... I thought he was going to kill you." Ryan said stunned.

Horatio nodded. No point in telling Ryan that the man had started lowering his gun just before getting shot by him. Ryan on the other hand felt sick to his stomach. Not just because he had taken a life; but because he knew why he had _really_ done it. The Boss had told him to make sure nothing could lead back to him. Without a witness statement from the victim, nothing would lead the team to the Boss. Ryan had done his job. He had gotten rid of evidence.

"Ryan, go back to the lab and take it easy. IAB will want your gun and probably talk to you. But it's okay." Horatio said, "I'll be there."

Eric nudged Ryan's shoulder and turned him in the direction of the hummer. Ryan looked back at Horatio and when the redhead nodded he got inside the car and left.

"Poor Ryan. He only did what he thought was right." Natalia said, visibly shaken "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Horatio said, "Ryan probably didn't see that this guy had lowered his gun. He had his back to Ryan."

"Now, what the hell was that all about money? About being paid to take you out?" Eric asked, upset, "And about you being a dead man walking?"

"Well, I don't have a short list of enemies. But this is quite new. Why now all of a sudden?" Horatio wondered, "It does seem suspicious. I wonder if someone has put a green light on me. It wouldn't be the first time but still... I can't remember having pissed anyone off recently."

"Found a wallet in the back pocket. His name was Julio Aguilera." Calleigh said, "Twenty years old."

"Just a kid." Natalia said sadly.

She was visibly shaken and Horatio placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. They always made sure to keep their relationship low profile while on the job. So no matter how much Horatio wanted to kiss and hug her, he couldn't right now. The look in his eyes told Natalia everything though; how much he wished to comfort her now, how much he loved her and that they would talk it out later.

"I have to go, someone needs to be there with Ryan when IAB shows up." Horatio said.

"They can't really do anything to him for this though, right?" Walter asked.

"No, he couldn't have seen that the gun was lowered, and he reacted the way most of us would have in this situation." Horatio said, "He might not even have heard what we were talking about."

The others nodded and started processing the scene. All except Walter, who Horatio told to go back to the lab with him. Walter was to continue with the other cases they had for now so that they weren't ignored. While Horatio was gone, Eric couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with Ryan.

Ryan Wolfe was a senior officer; he had been working as a cop and CSI for years now. Why did this particular situation make him slightly panic and shoot a suspect just like that? What was so different about this one? Eric shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Ryan was probably just going through a rough patch right now and he wasn't himself. But still... something felt off.

-I-

Ryan had been stripped off his gun and forced to remain in the lab while waiting for IAB to talk to him. He was nervous, although nobody could prove that he had acted for any different reason than to protect a fellow officer and his boss. Ryan was seated in a room, waiting for IAB detective Mason O'Hara and Horatio. His boss had made it clear that Ryan was not to talk to IAB without him there.

The door opened and both men came in together. O'Hara was certainly an improvement over Rick Stetler. To begin with O'Hara was much nicer and wasn't looking to set up anyone. He just wanted to get everything straight and make sure that nothing would come back to bite MDPD in the ass later. Even if that made him disliked and even if he had to be the mean guy sometimes; he just genuinely wanted to protect the department.

"So Ryan, Lieutenant Caine has requested to be here during my interview. Is that okay with you?" O'Hara asked.

"Absolutely." Ryan said.

"Good, tell me about when you arrived at the crime scene today and saw all those officers surrounding the house with their guns trained on a man we know now was named Julio Aguilera?"

"I felt on edge. I think we all do in a situation like that. He had a gun pointed at my boss." Ryan said, "And given how H came close to dying just eight months ago I think it's safe to say that we, the team, all feel a bit anxious about his safety."

"I am not accusing you, Ryan." O'Hara said, "I just want to know what happened."

"Fair enough."

"And then you got into position with your gun aimed at Aguilera's back, correct?"

"Yeah, I could only see his back." Ryan said.

"Could hear what was being said?" O'Hara asked.

"Is that important?" Horatio asked.

"A bit yes, you said it yourself Lieutenant that Aguilera was lowering his gun and coming around." O'Hara said, "That it seemed he wasn't going to go through with killing you."

"I couldn't hear it." Ryan said quickly, "I was just too... hyped if you wish. It was a tense situation. If Aguilera had pulled the trigger H would have been gone."

"Did you see him lower the gun?"

"He just said he could only see his back O'Hara." Horatio growled, "Ask what you really want."

"Fine, did you shoot Aguilera because you panicked Detective Wolfe? Or did you have probable cause to shoot him?"

"Probable cause? The guy was pointing a gun at my boss!" Ryan exclaimed, "For all I knew he had it aimed at his head or chest. I had no idea he had lowered his gun and I felt that the situation was getting out of hand."

"So out of all the officers there you were the _only one_ who felt that you had to shoot Aguilera at that particular moment?" O'Hara asked.

"It's a tense moment O'Hara." Horatio growled, "Everyone is on edge and every officer there had to make a split decision. Either shoot or not shoot and I'm sure that the officers standing next to Ryan; whom also could only see Aguilera's back, where trying to decide the same thing Ryan was. Take the shot or not."

"Look, I'm not trying to make it seem like Detective Wolfe made the wrong choice." O'Hara said.

"It sure sounds like you are! My CSI did what he thought best in that situation. He did _not_ know that Aguilera was coming around. He acted on the principle that he had to take out a threat." Horatio said harshly, "He saved my life. He followed his training as a police officer."

"And now that you think back to it Detective... could you have acted differently?" O'Hara asked.

Ryan was silent for a moment. He couldn't believe he had got rid of a person to cover up his own tracks and to protect the Boss. And here his real boss, his friend, was doing everything he could to defend him.

"No... I acted on years of experience and I wanted to keep Lieutenant Caine safe." Ryan said.

O'Hara sighed and went to leave the room. He gave Horatio and Ryan an apologetic smile. Investigating his own people wasn't something he enjoyed, but it needed doing. Because not everyone was as innocent and genuine as Ryan.

"Your gun will be given back to you tomorrow." O'Hara said, "Good day." He left.

"Ryan, why don't you go home for the day?" Horatio suggested.

"H, are you sure?"

"Yes, we can manage."

Ryan nodded and stood up to leave.

"Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there anything you want to share? You are not yourself." Horatio said, "Has something happened? Maybe I can help. You know you can talk to me about anything."

"Yeah... thanks H, I know." Ryan said and gave what he hoped was a convincing smile, "Everything is fine though."

Horatio nodded and Ryan left. The minute Ryan was out of the building and in the garage he sank down on the ground and took deep breaths. He was in such deep shit now. The Boss would be happy with him, but what about his friends? If this ever got out he'd be labeled a traitor for the rest of his life. And the more he thought about how much in trouble he was; he also realized that if he became a liability and a threat to the Boss's empire... _he_ might be the one to get eliminated.

-I-

Later that evening Horatio and Calleigh were going through the evidence from their original crime scene, while Eric and Natalia tried to find out everything about Julio Aguilera.

"How's it going with that phone?" Horatio asked.

"Tyler is working on it. Hopefully we can get into it and find out what victim was into." Calleigh said, "He remains a John Doe though."

"Well, John Doe was certainly into drugs. We found heroine in his system and track marks on his arms." Horatio said, "Tom said the bullet that hit him killed him within seconds. Tore through an artery."

"And all the bullets that didn't hit him are badly smashed from hitting the walls, but I've got one fingerprint on one of them. Computer matched it to Julio Aguilera; so no surprise there." Calleigh said.

"And Julio said they were cousins so I hope we will find an ID soon." Horatio said, "Hopefully someone will be missing our John Doe soon enough as well."

"Did anyone talk to Julio's mother and sister?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes, they were heartbroken. But they said they couldn't remember Julio having a cousin. But the mother said it could be from the father's side." Horatio sighed, "Julio's father left ten years ago, so she can't be sure about Julio being in contact with relatives from that side of the family."

"Or it could have just been a figure of speech." Calleigh said, "Or even a lie."

"That too."

Together they printed everything they had found at the scene except the phone, which Tyler was working on. They collected trace from John Doe's shirt that would later turn out to lead nowhere. All in all, it seemed a pretty obvious case. Julio had shot John Doe and it seemed to be true that he had done it to lure Horatio to the scene. But that had in itself been a gamble. It could have been anyone showing up at the scene; it was just pure luck for Julio that Horatio had done it.

"They can't exactly have been close cousins if Julio shot him just to get you there." Calleigh said.

"No, they probably weren't close. The big mystery is who wanted to pay Julio to kill me. I think our John Doe was simply chosen as a means to get me there." Horatio said.

"Julio sure was desperate for money then." Calleigh said.

"Poor kid, desperate to make life better for his sister and mother." Horatio sighed, "I just wish he had chosen some other way to get money for them."

After a few more hours with nothing much left to do. They all called it a night. Natalia told Horatio she would meet him by the car and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as he went down to the garage with Eric.

Eric expressed his concerns about Ryan to the redhead and Horatio agreed that something was off with him. As they exited the elevator at the garage they went different ways. Eric's car was parked further back than Horatio's.

"Natalia was pretty shaken up by what happened H." Eric said, as he was walking to his car.

"I know, I'll talk to her." Horatio said, "I would be too if it had been the other way around."

"Alright, see you tomorrow H." Eric said and waved.

Horatio waved back and watched the younger man disappear among the cars. Horatio had just reached his car and unlocked it when he felt a searing pain on the right side of his head just before he blacked out.

 _ **To be continued**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 4**

Ryan may have been sent home by Horatio, but that didn't mean he was actually going home. He had to talk to the Boss. He knew he'd be expected to do so anyway. So Ryan made his way to that shabby part of town again; wearing a hoodie to cover up his face. It would be really embarrassing if he and the team ever encountered anyone from this part of town that recognized Ryan. He would have a lot of explaining to do then.

Entering the apartment he was again met by a happy, almost jubilant, Boss. He was expected of course and the Boss congratulated him on following orders and eliminating Julio Aguilera.

"I should have known that hiring a man with a conscience wouldn't work." The Boss said, "Oh well, we all make mistakes. I've found someone better."

"Really... and will he be making an appearance soon?" Ryan asked and as the Boss gave him a curious look he quickly added, "I'd like to be prepared next time. This was a close call with Julio. If I hadn't been there and heard how he was coming around and thinking about giving you up, he might still be alive."

"My dear boy, I have more contacts within the department than you know." The Boss chuckled, "Not many, but enough to have made sure that Julio would never have lived long enough to tell his little tale about me."

Ryan shuddered. God this man was creepy. A psychopath no doubt. Still, Ryan had to play along. Though he was sure that the other man knew how reluctant he really was to do so. However, threatening to kill people you loved made sure that you did as you were told.

"So when will the new guy try to kill Caine?" Ryan asked.

"Tonight I'd think. They have free reins on that. Just get it done I say." The Boss smirked, "But he seemed eager and willing to do it soon. If all goes well I guess you will be attending a police funeral soon."

It almost made Ryan cry then and there. Horatio's death would affect so many people. He was a popular and very respected member of the police department. People everywhere looked up to him. Which is why Ryan knew many people would want to have his head if his treason ever saw the light of day.

"Now, I understand Julio killed his cousin to get Caine to the scene?"

"Yeah, they don't know his name though."

"But they have his phone?"

"Yeah... why?" Ryan asked.

"Well, I'd like for you to make it disappear. It has his name on it and it also has a few numbers linking to me." The Boss said, "You see, I sold drugs via that cousin."

"What was his name?"

"He can remain a John Doe for now." The Boss said, "He'll go to the grave without a name if I can make sure of it."

Ryan knew then that the name had to be important for the Boss. Important enough to make sure nobody knew it. Maybe the cousin had been someone important. Probably knew more about the Boss's crime empire that many others. Ryan realized that when Julio had killed his cousin he had also eliminated another potential threat to the empire. And Ryan had in turn eliminated Julio. It was genius. The Boss didn't commit the murders himself. Just made others do his dirty work and thereby eliminating threats to him.

"You need anything else for now?" Ryan asked.

"Only the usual updates. I'll call if anything important comes up." The Boss said dismissively.

Ryan nodded and left. When he was out of safe distance from the apartment he threw up and shed a few tears. He had been just an innocent young man a few years ago. Wanting to become a CSI and Horatio had given him that chance. Horatio had helped him through his gambling debts a few years ago as well. And nobody knew that Ryan had fallen for gambling again. That was why Ryan was now in such deep with the Boss... he just hadn't been able to stay away from gambling and he hadn't been able to pay off his new debts.

This was the price he had to pay. And his family and friends had to pay the price for him being a stupid asshole. Fuck, he hated himself.

-I-

O'Hara hummed to himself as he exited the elevator to the garage. His car was parked close and he was almost there; he looked forward to getting home. He unlocked the car and... immediately pulled out his gun. Just a few feet away stood a young boy with a hammer; positioned to strike someone lying down by another car.

"MDPD! Freeze!" His voice echoed out over the parking lot.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Eric Delko sprinting towards him, also his gun raised. The young was startled and instantly took off running. Delko ran after him, but the young man had a head start. O'Hara went to the car and saw that it was Horatio lying next to it; he knelt down next to him and called for an ambulance.

Horatio was bleeding from a wound to his head and he didn't respond at first when O'Hara called his name. Seconds later he heard footsteps running towards him and then Natalia was on the other side of Horatio. She took off her jacket and pressed it against her boyfriend's head wound.

"Horatio, honey wake up." She begged, "Open your eyes come on."

"I've called for an ambulance." O'Hara said and in that moment Eric came back, "The perp?"

"Got away. Fast as lightning." Eric panted, "What was he holding?"

"A hammer. Must have hit Horatio once in the head and was just going to do it again when I showed up." O'Hara said.

Horatio moaned and moved his head to the side. Natalia told him to lie still. Meanwhile Calleigh was calling for backup.

"Honey, can you hear me?" Natalia asked, tears escaping her eyes.

Horatio gave a thumbs up and started to try and sit up. O'Hara placed a firm hand on his chest.

"You should stay down Lieutenant. Let the ambulance arrive first and have the paramedics check you over before you move." He said.

Blue eyes opened but wasn't quite able to focus on neither Natalia nor O'Hara. The sound of sirens made them relieved and soon enough Horatio was in an ambulance on his way to the hospital; with Natalia riding along.

"Something is going on." O'Hara said, "Two murder attempts on Caine in one day?"

"Yeah, I agree. That's not normal. No matter how many enemies he has; this is something else." Calleigh said, "Did you get a good look of the guy?"

"I think so." O'Hara said, "White, early twenties or teenager. Had a scar on his cheek."

"That's good. We'll set you up with a sketch artist." Calleigh said.

"In the meantime, I need to call the Chief." O'Hara said.

"Why?" Eric asked, a tone of suspicion in his voice. He didn't trust IAB.

"Lieutenant Caine needs protection I think." O'Hara said, "Somebody definitely wants him dead and we need to do all we can to make sure that they do not succeed."

Eric nodded. He knew O'Hara wasn't a bad guy. But still, it was hard to trust IAB after all those hellish years with Rick Stetler leading it. As O'Hara went back inside the department to call the boss. Calleigh and Eric taped off the scene and called Ryan. They had a crime scene to process.

-I-

Natalia was pacing in the waiting room. She was happy that Alexx was on call and had been there to take care of Horatio when they arrived. Her heart was thumping in her chest and she knew she had to calm down. So she sat down, but after a few minutes got up again to start pacing.

"Honey, sit down." Alexx said from the doorway.

"Alexx, thank god. Please tell me he will be alright?" Natalia said.

Alexx grabbed her hands and sat them both down on a couple of chairs.

"He will be fine." Alexx smiled, "He has a concussion and he is not happy about having to stay the night in here. But he will be fine. He will need a few days though before he can get back to work."

"But no permanent damage?" Natalia asked.

"Only a scar I'd reckon. The hammer didn't crack his skull, but we did need thirteen stitches to close the wound. He's a bit woozy right now and exhausted." Alexx said, "But we will keep an eye on him for the night."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course honey, come with me." Alexx smiled.

Natalia followed Alexx down the hallway and into a room. Horatio had a bandage on the side of his head and a bruise was already becoming visible under the bandage. But he gave her a tired smile and she instantly went to his side and hugged him.

"Sweetheart, I'm okay." He said, "I'm dizzy, but okay."

"You will have one hell of a headache tomorrow most likely. But we can give you something to help with that." Alexx smiled.

"Thanks Alexx." Horatio said.

Natalia cried and kissed him hard. Alexx decided it was time to leave them alone. And while Horatio consoled and comforted his sweetheart; he kept going through his head of who he had pissed of recently that would want to kill him. Certainly nobody had been so pissed as to try twice in one day?

-I-

"You got to give O'Hara credit for having a good memory." Calleigh said impressed, as she held the sketch of the perp.

The scene had been processed and now Eric and Ryan were processing the evidence in the lab. Calleigh had just been to collect the sketch of the perp. It was very detailed and she thought she recognized the man. She showed the sketch to Eric and Ryan.

"That's Daniel Ford." Eric said, "Me and Frank picked him up on drug charges a few months back. He got that scar from being in a knife fight with a friend he said. It was fresh back then."

"He didn't get jail time?" Ryan asked.

"Kid is only seventeen. He got sent to a treatment center for his aggressive behavior. He wasn't a user, but he sold drugs to get money. Was supposed to be at the treatment center for a year. I guess he snuck out." Eric said.

"I will research him and see what I can find." Calleigh said, "You boys good on your own?"

"Sure. We'll call if we need a hand." Eric smiled.

The boys didn't have much though. They had photos of some blood on Horatio's car from when Daniel had lifted up the hammer to strike him again and blood from Horatio had spattered on the car. They had photos of shoeprints that would without a doubt lead back to Daniel once they caught him.

"We haven't got much. No fingerprints or DNA from Daniel." Ryan sighed.

"No, but with that witness statement from O'Hara and shoeprints, we'll have enough to put Daniel away for attacking a police officer." Eric said.

"Absolutely. Mind if I take a quick break?" Ryan asked.

"No problem."

Ryan nodded and left the room. He walked own the deserted hallways and to the Audio and Video lab; Tyler's work station. He saw the phone belonging to Julio's cousin there. It was locked inside an evidence cabinet for ongoing cases. Tyler was always careful to lock away evidence he was working on before he went home. Nobody had keys to these cabinets except people working in the lab; like Ryan.

As he unlocked the cabinet and took the phone, Ryan knew this could easily lead back to him. Tomorrow when Tyler raised the alarm for missing a piece of evidence, they would begin to look into all the lab employees. Everyone, except the cleaning crew, had keys to all the evidence cabinets. It was just a matter of time before it would point to Ryan. But perhaps by then it would all be over.

Ryan grabbed the phone and disappeared to the locker rooms. His hands were shaking as he put the phone in the back of his locker. The Boss had told him to destroy evidence, not hide it. But right now Ryan just couldn't do it. Hiding it was bad enough.

-I-

Natalia could tell that Horatio was getting tired; his eyes kept shutting and opening. She was waiting for Frank though, as she knew that the redhead had to be questioned about what had happened. Horatio wouldn't have anything to say though. He had been knocked out before he saw anything or anyone. Still, it was standard procedure and she was glad it was their friend Frank doing it.

The door opened and Frank came inside.

"Hi, is he awake?" He asked.

"Yeah, a bit." Natalia said and gently nudged Horatio, "Sweetie, Frank is here to ask you some questions."

Blue eyes opened and Horatio gave them both a tired smile.

"Hi Francis."

"Hi, H. I'll make this quick okay? And then you can rest." Frank said and took a seat on the opposite of the bed from Natalia.

"I haven't got much information to give." Horatio croaked.

"I know, Nat said so on the phone." Frank said, "But you know, standard procedure and all that shit. Apparently the Chief is worried and scared that someone is after you. So he wants this done as quick as possible."

"Will there be guards outside my door tonight?"

"Yeah, two. And some officers at every entrance to this floor." Frank said, "We're not taking any chances tonight. Tomorrow we will talk about what happens from here on."

Horatio nodded. Natalia gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and excused herself to get some coffee. When she got out in the hallway she met Alexx and the two of them went to the cafeteria. They small talked for a while and then it went silent for some time.

"Natalia... what's wrong?" Alexx asked.

"You mean apart from the fact that my boyfriend almost got killed twice today?"

"Yeah. I've seen you handle a lot of dangerous situations, but this has got you riled up. More than usual." Alexx said, "I know of course that it's different when it's someone you love."

"But you still think something is wrong?"

"Yep." Alexx said, "Come on, spill it baby."

"Funny you should say that." Natalia sighed.

Alexx raised her eyebrows and waited for an answer.

"Alexx... I'm pregnant."

 _ **To be continued.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you all very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 5**

Alexx was shocked, but delighted and she smiled at Natalia and then looked at her curiously when she didn't receive a smile back.

"That's good news isn't it?" She asked.

"No! Horatio will be angry with me." Natalia said, "I forgot my pills a few times, and I forgot to tell him that. Sometimes you're just in the moment you know? And you kind of just want to do it like a couple of animals... and then there's the fact that somebody is trying to kill him and he doesn't need that distraction right now and-"

"Whoa baby slow down!" Alexx said, "Slow down... First of all, Horatio will be over the moon. Especially since he gets to be part of this from the beginning this time; something he didn't have with Kyle. Second, it's not a distraction; this is good!"

"Kyle!"

"Kyle will be happy to know that he is going to be a big brother. And who would ever be a better brother? Come on, the boy is an angel and so much like his dad." Alexx grinned, "You should tell Horatio."

"No Alexx! Kyle! I've completely forgot about him. He doesn't know what has happened." Natalia exclaimed and instantly grabbed her phone from her pocket. Alexx placed a hand over her hand.

"Honey, I called Kyle." She said, "He is on his way. He knows everything and he was with some friends a few hours away from Miami, but he should be here soon."

Natalia sighed in relief and Alexx gave her a hug.

"You need to calm down and relax." Alexx said, "How far along are you?"

"According to my calculations and the test I took... six weeks." Natalia said, "I will tell Horatio tomorrow. I will. I just hope he doesn't get mad."

"Honey, him mad? Never over a baby." Alexx said, " _You_ will probably god mad at _him_ for treating you like you're made of glass after you've told him though."

Natalia chuckled and wiped away a few tears. At that moment Kyle showed up and he was panting from running.

"Natalia, Alexx, thank God." He said, "Is dad okay?"

Alexx told him what she had told Natalia earlier. Kyle was visibly relieved and gave them both a hug.

"I can't believe it; twice in one day." Kyle said.

"I'm sorry... that we didn't call you after the first attempt." Natalia said.

"Ah, never mind. Dad wouldn't have wanted me to worry about such a thing, and I understand. I know what he is like when it comes to not worrying me. Being threatened happens a lot for a cop; they tell us that in the academy." Kyle said, "He was probably going to tell me later."

Feeling more relaxed now, Natalia asked Kyle how the academy was going. While she, Kyle and Alexx were chatting about that. Frank finished with his questions and before he was even out of the room Horatio had fallen asleep. He found the others in the cafeteria.

"Well, like you said earlier, he didn't see anyone." Frank said, "Perp showed up from behind him and knocked him out."

"Is he sleeping now?" Alexx asked.

"Yeah, like a baby."

"Can I just see him for a little bit?" Kyle asked the doctor, "Before me and Natalia go home?"

"Sure honey."

Together with Alexx all of them went back to Horatio's room. Kyle walked up to his father's bed and wished him a goodnight; as did Natalia before they all left.

Natalia was silent on the way home. Both her and Kyle were trying to wrap their heads around what had just happened. They were scared for Horatio. Whoever had tried to kill him twice in just one day wasn't going to give up anytime soon. As they reached home Natalia bid Kyle goodnight and went to the bedroom she shared with Horatio.

Kyle wished her the same and went upstairs to the guestroom. It took both of them many hours to fall asleep. They couldn't help but feel that this was far from over.

-I-

Ryan was sweating from nervousness as he arrived at the lab the next morning. Already people were buzzing around and talking about something missing. Well, Ryan knew what was missing and it was in his locker.

"Wolfe!" Eric called out, "Come quick."

Ryan walked towards Eric who was in Tyler's lab. Calleigh and Frank were also there.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"Yeah, somebody stole John Doe's phone." Eric growled, "Tyler swore he locked it away last night when he went home and now it's missing."

"What the hell! Only lab personnel has keys to those cabinets." Ryan said.

"Exactly." Calleigh said, "Chief has ordered you and Walter to investigate. Walter is running late because of traffic, but the second he gets here you and him see what you can find. Walter can start with the cameras."

Ryan nodded and then froze. Surveillance cameras. The lab was filled with it... how could he have been so stupid as to not think about the fucking cameras? He could have slapped himself for being so careless. But there was still a way he might be able fix it... he just had to make sure he worked on the cameras and Walter worked on everything else.

"Print the evidence cabinet too." Eric said.

"There will be dozens of prints on it." Frank said.

"No, mostly Tyler's own prints as it is his lab and ours... but if anyone else has left prints we might have our thief." Eric said.

"I'll start with the cameras." Ryan said.

"No, start with the prints." Calleigh said.

"With all due respect Cal, cameras take longer. There are hours of video to go through and lots of different cameras." Ryan said, "Prints go faster, Walter can do that when he shows up."

"You're right, sorry." Calleigh said, "Alright, in the meantime continue as before Tyler. Me, Eric and Frank will continue with our Daniel Ford case."

Everybody nodded and Ryan went to one of the other labs where he could access all the surveillance tapes. Usually Tyler would help with these things, but he had a stack of evidence to process higher than Horatio's stack of paperwork. Besides, he was available for help if needed. Only Ryan wouldn't need help. Of course there was one problem... how do you erase yourself from the surveillance tapes without making it look suspicious? And how do you explain someone stealing the evidence if there are no video proof of anyone entering Tyler's? Ryan had to work fast to figure it out.

-I-

Horatio was finally home and although still a bit dizzy, he felt much better than yesterday. His house was being guarded by two cops. Circling his house every now and then; making sure nobody could get in to hurt the redhead. Horatio felt a little uneasy about it; he was a private man and preferred not to have his house watched constantly by others. But it was for the best; he knew that.

Chief Jax Clarkson had called earlier and expressed his worries. Jax and Horatio went way back and had been friends for a long time. IAB and the team were working together to find out who wanted Horatio dead.

While he stayed at home for a few days Horatio had been instructed to relax and not do anything stupid by Doctor Alexx Woods. When asked what something stupid entailed she had informed him that running off to chase down whoever tried to kill him was stupid. She knew him well enough to know that it had been on his mind to do so. So here he was; sitting on the couch watching TV with his girlfriend snoozing next to him and his son snoozing on the other couch.

"You okay, dad?" Kyle asked, eyes still closed.

"Yes."

"I can hear the wheels in your head turning."

"Aren't you supposed to be at the academy?"

"Don't change the subject dad." Kyle chided softly and opened his eyes, "The academy is closed for a few days; home studies."

"I see." Horatio sighed, "I feel fine. I just try to remember whom I might have pissed off recently."

"And?"

"And I can't figure it out." Horatio sighed, "And it bothers me. I have no idea who is doing this and they are obviously quite desperate to have me dead."

Kyle nodded. His father had made a lot of enemies throughout his career, but also a lot of friends. So he had a lot of people he could count on to help him.

"Maybe some politician? Or other person in a powerful position?" Kyle suggested.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, Eric said the perp that attacked you was Daniel Ford, right?" Kyle asked and his father nodded, "And he said his home address was on the other side of Miami from where Julio Aguilera lived... so their paths are unlikely to have crossed. As far as the team have found out they never went to the same school or hung out with the same people."

"So they are not likely in the same gang or circle of friends." Horatio said.

"Right... so maybe somebody else is calling the shots." Kyle said, "These guys are young too. Haven't been around long enough to be the leaders. My guess is they were both hired to kill you. Julio even admitted that you said."

"Yeah, he said he had been paid."

"Exactly. My guess is Daniel Ford was paid as well." Kyle said.

"Good thinking Kyle." Horatio smiled proudly.

Kyle grinned. He sat up and pulled out a deck of cars.

"Too tired to play poker? It beats watching some show about housewives." Kyle grinned.

"I bet I can still beat your ass in poker, even with a head wound."

"Bring it on." Kyle challenged.

-I-

"Well, this isn't so good." Frank said, looking down at the body of Daniel Ford.

"Shit." Eric sighed, "Shot through the head. Must have been because he failed his job."

"He has been stripped off everything except clothes." Calleigh said, "Probably to make sure nothing will lead back to whoever hired him to kill Horatio."

They had got a call out to a dead teenage boy, matching the description of Daniel Ford. Even though half his face was blown off, it was still obvious to Eric that this was indeed Daniel.

"I'm going to look for the bullet." Calleigh said and walked in the direction where the bullet had most likely ended up when it exited Daniel's head.

"According to the guy who found him he wasn't here three hours ago when he walked past with his dog." Frank said, "So he must have met up here with whoever hired him."

"Yeah, he doesn't live anywhere near here either." Eric said, "Neither his home address or the treatment center he ran away from is near here."

"Yeah, actually this is closer to where Julio Aguilera lived... Maybe our main guy works out of this area of town." Frank suggested.

"You're probably right." Eric said, "I'll get started processing."

He and Calleigh worked in silence as they canvassed the crime scene. Calleigh found a bullet, Eric found tire tracks and shoeprints that did not belong to Daniel Ford. Tom Loman arrived and concluded that Daniel had been dead less than two hours. The bullet through the head had killed him instantly. As Doctor Loman left with the body, Calleigh and Eric started realizing they had no more evidence to find in this place.

"Whoever killed him is good." Eric said, "Sure, we got tire marks and shoeprints, but we don't even know where to begin looking for whoever wears the shoes and I can tell you right now that the tires are going to be common."

"Well, we just have to work with what we got and-" She stopped and saw that Kyle was calling her, "Kyle?"

" _You have to come quick! Some guy just kidnapped dad!_ "

 _ **To be continued**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 6**

Horatio and Kyle were playing poker and Kyle was winning. They were trying to be quiet so as not to wake Natalia who was sleeping next to Horatio. They were busy having a good time and thinking that they were safe with officers outside the house that it wasn't until the man was inside the house that they both noticed him.

"Officer Mason." Horatio said, he recognized the man.

"Lieutenant." Mason said, "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"You expect me to come quietly?"

"Yes. I won't want to have to shoot your son or Detective Boa Vista." Mason said.

Horatio could see that his hands were shaking and he was sweating; Mason was nervous. Horatio realized that whoever wanted him that had people on the inside. Mason had been a cop for years and wouldn't have done this without feeling forced to.

"What sort of leverage does he have on you?" Horatio asked.

"Who?"

"Whoever, has asked you to kidnap me." Horatio said, "You and me have never had any problems before. So why now?"

"Just get up and come with me. I don't want to have to do this." Mason said.

"So, put the gun down and we'll figure out a way to fix things." Horatio said.

"You can't fix it!" Mason exclaimed, waking Natalia up.

She immediately sat up and reached for her gun by her waist. But Mason pointed the gun at Kyle and she stopped.

"He's threatened my family! He'll kill them if I don't take you to him." Mason said; nervously.

Horatio nodded and got up. He figured he might have more luck talking to Mason if there was no else for Mason to shot but him. Horatio didn't want to risk angering Mason to the point where he would shoot Kyle or Natalia. Horatio rather it be him than anybody else.

"Horatio!"

"Dad!"

"Stop. Me and Mason are going on a little drive and we'll talk." Horatio said, "Don't do anything stupid Mason."

Natalia pressed the emergency button on her pager and in that instant Mason led Horatio outside and disappeared around the corner of the house.

"Call Calleigh!" Natalia ordered as he un-holstered her gun and ran after Horatio and Mason.

As soon as she got outside on the back porch she heard a car speeding away and saw the other officer protecting them knocked out on the back lawn. She went over to him and checked his pulse quickly; he was alive. She then ran around the house to the front and scanned for a car. Nothing.

She thought she saw a black car just turning a corner, but Miami was filled with black cars and she couldn't be sure. Tears made their way down her face as she realized this could be the last time she ever saw Horatio alive and she hadn't even told him about the baby yet. Kyle came out and hugged her. Together they tried to calm down and wrap their heads around the fact that the redhead had been kidnapped.

They heard sirens approaching as backup arrived and Natalia pulled herself together. She was getting angry. Mason would not get away with this! She wanted Horatio back and she was going to get him back whatever it cost. She unconsciously rubbed her belly and didn't notice Kyle watching her. Kyle frowned and watched her walk back into the house; saying that she had a scene to process and an asshole to find.

Kyle stared after her. When Calleigh and Eric arrived he pointed to the house and they followed Natalia. Kyle looked at his car down the street. Natalia had rubbed her belly... could she be pregnant? Kyle growled! Officer Mason had just taken his dad and Natalia was probably pregnant with his father's child. Mason was a dead man!

Pissed off; Kyle got inside his car and drove off. He had a father to find.

-I-

Horatio groaned and opened his eyes. He tried to move, but found that his hands were handcuffed behind his back. He had been knocked out the moment Mason had led him to a black car. He could feel his head throbbing and he knew his previous injury from the hammer had been reopened. He was bleeding from it and the pain in his head almost made him want to throw up.

The room was dark, but not so dark so that you couldn't see at all. There was only a small window on the upper side of the stone wall he was resting against. The floors were made of concrete so Horatio guessed he was in some sort of cellar or old building. Wherever he was, he was sure that nobody from miles around would hear him if he called for help. What little sound he could make out was just birds chirping. So there was no traffic around or people.

A door opened across the room and Mason walked in. He looked scared and almost shocked; as if he hadn't even realized what he had done. He had changed out of his cop uniform into black sweats.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant. But he threatened my family." Mason said.

"Who?"

"The call him the Boss." Mason said, "His real name is Ross Whitmore."

"I recognize that name." Horatio said.

"Yeah, he is a businessman. What many people don't know is that aside from his legit business as a contractor, he also has a crime empire; mainly in Atlanta." Mason said shakily, "And he is not a man you want to piss off."

"And I have done so?"

"He says you're in his way. You and the team." Mason said, "And with you out of the picture. He can establish his empire down here."

"So he wants to take me out before I ever get the chance to even start investigating him and take him out?" Horatio clarified.

"Yes. He does that; takes out possible threats or people he feels are standing in his way. He never kills anyone himself." Mason said, "Others do that for him. He pays them."

"And what is his hold on you?"

Mason looked ashamed. He was a family man and he loved his wife and four kids. But what he had done a year back was unforgivable and this was just adding to it. Hell, he had just kidnapped a fellow officer and was keeping him prisoner so Whitmore could come and kill him.

"A year ago I uh... cheated on my wife." Mason said, "Just once... This woman, she just... she was so mystic and frankly I couldn't keep away."

"And Whitmore knows?"

"Yeah, it's his niece I slept with. And she had a child." Mason said, starting to shake and cry, "God, I just... one time you know? And then suddenly I have a daughter with her. I had no idea who she was."

"And Whitmore has threatened to tell you wife?" Horatio said.

"And more... he'll kill them if I don't do as he says." Mason cried, "And he'll make me watch."

Horatio understood where Mason was coming from. A parent would do anything to protect his children. And a husband would do anything to protect his wife. Horatio would do the same thing for Kyle and Natalia.

"Mason, let me go and I'll protect you." Horatio said.

"You don't understand Lieutenant, he has eyes everywhere." Mason sobbed, "At least four more guys in the department."

"Do you know who they are?" Horatio asked.

"Just one of them." Mason sniffed, "God, I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to rough you up and then when Whitmore shows up he'll kill you himself he said."

"Mason, what are the other's names?"

"I just know about Ryan Wolfe." Mason said.

Horatio's eyes widened... his Ryan Wolfe? his CSI? As if Mason could read his mind he told Horatio about how he knew it was Ryan. A few months back Ryan had started lying about evidence to get key players in the empire to escape trial. Ryan claimed that DNA was too diluted to get a match or how the hairs lacked roots for DNA. Fingerprints were to smudged and so on. Mason knew this because his job had been to make sure Ryan could destroy some evidence directly at the scenes. He had made sure no one else was watching. And no one had questioned CSI Wolfe, because they had no reason to believe he was lying. Ryan destroyed some evidence at scenes and some evidence in the lab.

"Who are these key players?" Horatio asked.

"Lawyers, other contractors. Whitmore makes sure they don't get to trial or can even be prosecuted for their crimes, and in return they get him whatever they want." Mason said.

"You know their names?"

"Have them written down. In my home." Mason said, "Just in case. Whitmore lets me in closer than some others. Because of the baby."

"Mason, why don't you call the team and tell them about the book? They can fix this before things get out of hand." Horatio said.

"They are already out of hand Lieutenant! I'm a dead man if I don't do as he says!" Mason exclaimed, "I'm not happy about this. I hate myself everyday for lying and betraying my badge and the oath I took when I became a cop."

"Then stop this! I can help you."

"You can't. He has eyes everywhere." Mason said.

Horatio was just about to say something when Mason landed a kick at his ribs. Horatio gasped and buckled over. His wrists hurt as the cuffs started to dig into his skin. Mason kicked him again and Horatio felt some ribs crack. Mason then knocked him out by kicking his head.

As Horatio lay there unconscious again. Mason broke down and left the room. He hated himself. He hated himself for having cheated on his wife; for being in debt with Whitmore. Mason hated himself with every cell in his body. But he had to do this. He had to keep his family safe.

-I-

Walter had waited for this opportunity. He had watched Ryan fidget with the surveillance cameras all day and afternoon. Calleigh had told Walter and Ryan to continue with the search for the missing phone, even though Horatio was missing. Because that phone probably contained a name for whoever was after Horatio.

So Walter had dusted the evidence cabinet and all fingerprints on it belonged to lab employees; including everyone on the team. What really bothered him was how Ryan refused to let him help with the surveillance tapes. He wouldn't even let Walter watch it with him. And the whole time Ryan kept sweating more and more and it affected his mood. He was angry and moody and kept snapping at Walter to leave him alone.

Walter had a gut feeling that Ryan knew something he didn't want Walter to know about. So when Ryan finally went on a bathroom break, Walter saw his chance. He called Tyler and although Ryan had locked the computer to stop Walter from peeking. He had no counted on Tyler being able to unlock it within seconds.

"Okay, here we go. He is watching the tapes from last night. See, this is when I go home." Tyler said.

"And you put the cell phone in the cabinet." Walter said.

They watched and waited. It wasn't until they had skipper ahead two hours on the tape before they finally saw it. The last person they had expected. Walter and Tyler froze and their hearts raced as they watched the brunette walk into Tyler's lab and extract the phone. He hadn't even used gloves. He looked around the hallway and disappeared to the locker rooms. Tyler pressed a few keys and they watched the brunette go inside the locker rooms and then come out seconds later; without the phone.

"What the hell did we just watch?" Tyler asked. "Why would Ryan take the phone?"

"I don't know. Rewind the tape and lock the computer. You and I are going to take a look in Ryan's locker." Walter said, "Without him knowing it."

"He didn't even use gloves." Tyler said, "That's just dumb."

"He was probably too distracted." Walter said, "He's been acting weird lately. He hasn't been himself for weeks and obviously he is involved in something bad."

They met Ryan in the hallway and explained to him how they needed a break too. Ryan went back to work.

"He was probably trying to work out how to make himself disappear from the tape." Tyler said, "But without arousing suspicion about how someone stealing evidence could possibly do it without being caught on camera."

"And the reason he's been so frustrated these last few hours is because he hasn't succeeded. And so he hasn't wanted me to watch the tapes." Walter said.

Together the two men entered the locker room and immediately went to Ryan's locker. Walter simply broke it open. These were cheap lockers and the doors were easy to bend open. There in the back of Ryan's locker lay the cell phone, still in the evidence bag, still sealed and untouched. Walter took it out and sighed.

"You call Calleigh and I will call O'Hara." Walter sighed sadly. It broke his heart to involve IAB, but he had no choice.

Not ten fifteen minutes later. Ryan was running his hands over his face trying to get out of this mess. He didn't have enough knowledge about videos to manipulate the tapes. But mostly he was pissed at himself. He had been so focused on doing what he had been told to do that he forgot about leaving fingerprints even though that could be explained easily since everybody in the lab always touched the evidence cabinets. But he had completely forgotten about the cameras. For years he had worked in the lab and it hadn't even crossed his mind when he stole the phone to first disable the cameras.

Hearing footsteps approach he looked up and turned around to face the door. His face drained of color. Walter stood there with the cell phone in his hands. Next to him stood O'Hara and behind him two officers.

"CSI Wolfe." O'Hara said, "You're under arrest for stealing and tampering with evidence. And that's just starters."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 7**

The lab, or more like the whole department was in shock. Ryan Wolfe had been arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence and thereby being a dirty cop. Ryan was sitting in a holding cell by himself; contemplating on how he was going to explain the situation he was in. He knew for sure that the Boss would have been told by now that Ryan had been arrested. Ryan knew that the Boss had other people within the department working for him. Ryan also knew that he was _not_ such an important person for the Boss that he would rescue him anytime soon. No, he'd let Ryan take the fall for this all on his own.

It was this knowledge that lead Ryan to the conclusion that it was best just to come clean and tell IAB and the team everything. What his job had been and why he had done it. Hopefully the team would be able to protect his sister and her child before the Boss had them murdered.

Footsteps approaching his cell made Ryan stand up and approach the door. He was met by O'Hara and a disappointed looking Calleigh. Ryan let himself be cuffed and in silence led away to one of the interrogation rooms. Unbeknownst to him, behind the two-way mirror stood the rest of the team, including Natalia. They all wanted to know why Ryan had betrayed them and therefore would be listening in on the interrogation.

"CSI Wolfe, do you want a lawyer present for this interview?" O'Hara asked.

"No."

"Do you understand that at any point you feel like it you have the right to request a lawyer?" O'Hara asked.

"Yes."

"Then let's begin shall we. You have been caught on tape stealing a cell phone belonging to a John Doe in an ongoing case that is probably related to the attacks on Lieutenant Caine and the recent kidnapping of Lieutenant Caine." O'Hara said, "What is your explanation for this?"

"I'll tell you everything." Ryan said, "I only ask one thing in return... you have to protect my sister and her child."

O'Hara and Calleigh looked at each other and then nodded to Ryan. He then told them how he had gone back to gambling and started losing money again. As he got deeper and deeper in debt this man who called himself the Boss (Ryan didn't know his real name), appeared and cleared all of Ryan's debt. Instead, Ryan now owed the Boss.

It had started with small things; such as making sure some fingerprints were too smudged to analyze or things containing information leading back to the Boss went missing from crime scenes. It was to keep some key players from the Boss's crime empire out of prison.

Then the Boss had noticed Horatio and decided that the redhead was a threat. He knew how relentless the Lieutenant could be and knew that if he got rid of him there would very little to stop the Boss from establishing his criminal empire in Miami. The Boss dealt in everything; drugs, weapons, money, human trafficking and even importing illegal animals to people that paid enough money. Anyone who paid enough could get what they wanted.

"Do you have the names of the suspects in the cases you sabotaged?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes, and I saved all the real evidence in evidence bags. Sealed and tagged." Ryan said, "It's in my apartment."

Ryan told them how he hadn't had the heart to completely get rid of the evidence, instead keeping it hidden hoping one day he'd be able to take it back.

"And how much involved are you in these attacks on Lieutenant Caine?" O'Hara asked.

"I knew about them. Not who would attack or exactly when. But I knew it would happen." Ryan said, "And I shot Julio Aguilera because he chickened out. He was going to tell H everything and I knew I was expected to take him out. And I did."

"To make sure he couldn't speak." O'Hara said, "Who is John Doe?"

"Tomaz Diaz." Ryan said, "And I think his phone holds key evidence pointing to the Boss."

"And that's why you were ordered to get rid of the phone." Calleigh said.

"Yes."

"Tell me more Ryan." O'Hara said.

Ryan told them how he had never wanted to hurt the people he considered family. How he regretted what he had done. By the end he was crying and had completely broke down. It broke the others hearts to see, but at the same time Ryan had put them all in danger and he was responsible for the fate of their beloved boss. '

Ryan also told them how Horatio's stalker from eight months ago, Jenny Cole AKA Shirley Adams, had been a way for the Boss to get rid of Horatio and a test for Ryan's loyalty. The Boss had paid Jenny Cole and encouraged her obsession with Horatio; hoping she would kill him. Thereby it would just seem like a stalker-case gone bad and never lead back to the Boss.

"Ryan." O'Hara said, "Do you know the names of the others that the Boss has under his power within the department?"

"Just one. He was the one who always made sure I could get away with what I did at crime scenes. He had my back. His family is also threatened and he had no choice." Ryan said.

"I need a name Ryan."

"Charlie Mason." Ryan said.

"Officer Mason kidnapped Lieutenant Caine out of his home just hours ago." O'Hara said.

Ryan nodded. He wiped some tears away.

"Please keep my family safe. I don't care what happens to me." Ryan said, "I take full responsibility for what I have done. But my sister and her child should not have to pay for my mistakes and stupidity."

"FBI will want to talk to you. They may cut a deal." O'Hara said, "We got a call the minute you were arrested. They think the Boss is Ross Whitmore. A big name within the construction industry who is apparently suspected of many murders in Atlanta."

"I don't need a deal." Ryan said.

"Normally I would agree. I hate dirty cops." O'Hara said, "You have not only made the lab look bad, but the entire department as well. Lieutenant Caine could have been killed twice already because you didn't come clean. You should have trusted the team to let them help you."

"You should have trusted Horatio with the truth." Calleigh said, "Ryan, I know you acted like this because you were forced. But you had many opportunities along the way to come clean and let us help you. If you have done that Horatio might now have been missing right now or even hurt right now."

"If the FBI decided to make a deal with you that is up to them. But you will never again set foot within this department as a free man." O'Hara said, "And if Lieutenant Caine is not found alive, I will make sure that whatever deal the FBI makes with you doesn't hold."

Ryan nodded and two officers and O'Hara started leading him back to his cell. On the way they met Natalia and she slapped Ryan in the face.

"You had better hope he comes back alive." She growled.

Ryan hung his head and let tears fall as he was once again placed back in his cell and left alone. What had he done...

-I-

Kyle had been driving around town looking for his father for hours. He had seen enough of the car that Mason drove away in to know that it was a black Audi with tinted windows and a crack in one of the taillights. It had eventually occurred to Kyle that his father had most likely been taken out of the city and so Kyle drove towards the everglades. There were some abandoned buildings along the way there and in the everglades as well and he would check everyone of them if he had too.

After checking three houses without luck it started to dawn on Kyle that his father might already be dead. However, he forced himself not to think about it.. If his father was dead he would have most likely been found by now. Whoever had ordered the kidnapping wanted to be able to brag about the fact that he had killed the great Lieutenant Caine.

It was getting dark and Kyle knew he shouldn't have gone alone on his mission. He already had several missed calls on his phone from Natalia and the rest of the team. He had finally been forced to turn off his phone, but he knew he would have messages on his voice mail urging him to return home.

Kyle just couldn't! He was going to find whoever had taken his father and he was going to make them pay. Nobody messed with his family like this. After what seemed like an eternity Kyle had to stop for gas. It was a deserted gas station and he felt quite vulnerable out here. As he looked around he saw a dirt road leading away over the fields and in through some trees and bushes. Kyle got a gut feeling that he should check it out.

He quickly got inside his car and followed the road. He didn't have to drive very far to find an abandoned building. It looked like an old factory and there seemed to be no lights on. Kyle parked his car behind some trees and grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment before he got out.

He sneaked in the ditches on his way to the building. His feeling of being in the right place just got stronger and stronger. And when he saw a familiar car; black Audi with tinted windows and a broken taillight he knew he was in the right place.

Now he just had to locate his father without being seen, so he turned the flashlight off and went inside the building.

-I-

Natalia sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Kyle had gone AWOL and she knew he was out looking for his father. But she didn't want to risk Kyle being hurt or killed. The kid was in an emotional rollercoaster just as she and there was a risk that he would do something dangerous because of it. She would never forgive herself if Kyle got hurt while trying to save his father.

The team had searched Ryan's entire apartment and Officer Mason's home and found all they needed. Both Mason's and Ryan's families were safe and at the moment placed under witness protection with the FBI. At Ryan's place they had found old evidence connected to old cases that were currently unsolved. That would be for the team to process later and hopefully nail the suspects in those cases to the crimes. The suspects were a lot of men in power. Lawyers for example and people working for the mayor or powerful business leaders.

Also Ryan had kept a list of all the cases he had sabotaged and the names of their prime suspects. He even had a list of suspected key players working for the Boss. However, it was in Mason's home that they found gold. Mason had a list and photos of the other cops within the department working for the Ross Whitmore. He even had photos of them doing things for Whitmore and dates and times that the events had occurred. The team realized that some of these people that they had considered friends and colleagues had been responsible for some of their unsolved cases and at some points had even been given orders to take the team out.

Mason had it all. All the information needed to find out who worked for Ross Whitmore and what his dealings were. Mason had been a little spy. He had worn spy cameras and there were so many photos, videos and witness accounts and paper trails that it would take weeks to solve it.

And through John Doe AKA Tomaz Dias's phone they found out that he had been the main man in regards to weapons and drugs trafficking for Whitmore. Apparently the DEA had started investigating Diaz and therefore the Boss had him taken out before the DEA even got the chance to question Diaz. Diaz's phone also gave them the Boss's numbers and his different offices.

"So, basically we got all we need to arrest the bastard? Even if it's going to take us weeks to go through all of this." Walter said.

"Yes. And O'Hara called and said that the other officers that they arrested are talking. Whitmore had threatened almost all of them with hurting their families." Calleigh said.

"Yeah, the only one who seems to be doing all of this for fun is Detective Gallagher." Eric said, "He's a real psychopath."

"Can you believe we've been working with these assholes for years?" Natalia said, "We trusted them. The public trusts us and they've ruined it!"

"I know." Eric growled, "The Chief called, he's being haunted by the media. And IAB and the police commissioner will be investigating the whole department. It will take a long time but they will make sure there are no dirty cops left by the end of the year."

"Any word from Kyle?" Calleigh asked.

"No, he's switched off his phone." Natalia sighed, "God, I can't believe this. He could get himself hurt or killed!"

"We'll find him and H." Eric said, "And we'll make Whitmore pay for this."

-I-

Horatio was exhausted. He had endured another beating and Mason had kept him awake by throwing ice cold water at him every thirty minutes. Horatio was absolutely freezing. He was shivering and the cuffs had cut up his wrists, making them bleed. He had been in that position for hours and his hands were so numb he could hardly feel them anymore. His shoulders ached, his ribs and abdomen ached and he had a splitting headache.

He knew the cut on his head had stopped bleeding though. He also knew he had broken at least two ribs and possibly had dislocated shoulder. His lungs were aching from having swallowed water and having difficulty drawing in enough air from the beatings. He was on his knees hunched forward and he was soaked with cold water and covered in dirt and bruises.

As the door opened Horatio sighed as Mason entered once again with a bucket of water. He threw it at him and Horatio jumped and gasped. He started shivering more; if that was even possible.

"He's here." Mason whispered, "I'm so sorry about this Lieutenant. I'm so sorry."

"Get me out." Horatio whispered.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

Mason stood up and kicked Horatio in the ribs. Horatio groaned and heard someone laughing.

"Calm down Charlie." Whitmore said, "We want the good Lieutenant to be alive for the morning to enjoy all the wonderful things I have planned for him."

"What have you planned?" Mason asked.

"Oh, just a bit of fun." Whitmore said, "I want to enjoy my time with Caine and not have it end too fast."

Whitmore bent down and looked into Horatio's tired blue eyes.

"Good evening Lieutenant. I am Ross Whitmore, also known as the Boss."

"I know."

"You recognize me?"

"No, he told me." Horatio said.

"Ah, yes. Of course he did." Whitmore said, "Well, it's been a long day and I am tired. You must forgive an old man for not thinking straight."

Whitmore stood up and removed something from his pocket. Horatio's eyes widened when he saw that it was a stun gun. Whitmore bent down again and smiled wickedly.

"This is just to wish you a good night. We'll see each other more tomorrow." Whitmore said and pressed the stun gun against Horatio's ribs.

Horatio jerked and groaned in pain as he was stunned. It seemed to last forever until Whitmore finally stopped and stood up with a laugh. Whitmore and Mason left and closed the door, while Horatio tried to control his shaking.

His head was swimming and he could hardly keep his eyes opened. He just wanted to get some sleep. His eyes closed and he tried to get his breathing under control. He sighed and groaned as he heard the door open again and jumped when he felt a hand on his cheek.

"Dad?" Kyle asked.

"Kyle?"

"Shh... I'm going to get you out of here."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thanks very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 8**

Kyle looked at his bruised and battered father. He didn't have anything to get the handcuffs off with him, so unfortunately they would have to stay on his father for now. It took a lot of strength to get Horatio up to a standing position as the older man was so tired and weary. Kyle noticed that Horatio could hardly stand and it angered him further that his father had been so beaten that he almost passed out.

Horatio was in no position to fight if need be so Kyle knew he had to get them both out quick and quietly. His father swayed and Kyle gently tapped him on the cheek. He quietly begged his father to just hang on a little longer and Horatio nodded as he understood what Kyle wanted.

Together, with Horatio leaning heavily on Kyle, they walked to the door. It creaked quietly as Kyle opened in, but nobody else seemed to have heard it. They walked quietly out of the room and down the hallway, in the opposite direction of where Kyle had watched Mason and Whitmore go.

As they as quickly as possible walked in the dark, towards a back door that Kyle had used, it occurred to the young man to call the police. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and turned it on. As they rounded a corner Kyle sent a text to Natalia to track his phone and that he had found his father.

Horatio groaned and slumped down on the floor.

"I need to rest a little Kyle." He whispered.

"Okay, just a little while though dad." Kyle answered.

His father was absolutely freezing; shaking with probably shock, cold and from the stun gun used on him. As Kyle had no weapon on him to defend himself he knew it was important that they get out soon. But he could also see how it was difficult for his father to move.

"Dad, don't give up okay." He whispered.

"Never son. Just resting that's all." Horatio mumbled, "I'm so tired."

"I know, but we need to keep going. Pretty soon they'll notice that your gone." Kyle said.

Horatio nodded and gasped and moaned in pain as Kyle helped him stand up again. He was having a difficult time keeping on his feet as they kept on walking.

"Not so far left now." Kyle whispered.

Horatio could feel everything aching and how he was having a difficult time breathing. He was exhausted and felt himself stumble on his feet. After a few more steps he lost his footing and Kyle lost his grip on him. He fell and couldn't keep himself from groaning loudly as his hit the floor. He could feel another rib get fractured and his already beaten body was hit with a fresh wave of pain as he landed on the floor.

He could hear Kyle whispering his name as he tried to get his breathing back under control. Suddenly there was another voice and he could feel Kyle tense in anger.

"Just listen to me, I will help." Mason said, "But we need to be quick as hell. Whitmore says he wants to beat him up a little more before calling it a night."

"Why should I trust you?" Kyle asked.

"I don't have a good answer for that. I know what I have done is terribly wrong. But just let me help you get out of there." Mason said.

Kyle nodded and together they helped the almost unconscious Horatio on his feet again. It was a little quicker this time and they finally reached the right door. Kyle felt his phone vibrate and saw that Natalia had sent a text saying that the police were on their way.

Mason opened the door and as the cool night air hit Horatio he felt a little more alive. He tried to stand up straighter and felt Mason get the cuffs off him. Mason threw them out in the grass.

"Go, quick." He said.

"Thanks." Kyle said.

Together, father and son half walked and half stumbled into the darkness and towards the car Kyle had hidden. Kyle heard the door close again. One minute later he heard a gunshot and knew somehow that Mason was no longer alive.

-I-

The team were exhausted, but refused to go home. The Chief had tried to tell them to at least take a few hours rest, a few at the time, but to no avail. They were going over all the evidence collected from Ryan and Mason's homes and realized that a lot of powerful people would face jail time because of what Ryan and especially Mason had collected as evidence.

"I hate corruption." Natalia said.

"Me too. And I don't particularly like Mason right now either, but he has done a good job in collecting all this evidence. Thanks to his own initiative as a spy he has made it possible for us to bring a lot of people to justice." Eric said.

"That's true. But still... just like Ryan, he could have come to us or the Chief and come clean so many times." Calleigh said, "I understand that in their minds they felt they had no choice and how they weren't sure who they could trust but still..."

"You can't help wondering how things would have been different if Ryan for example had just told us about the mess he was in." Walter sighed, "I don't know what to feel about him right now."

"One part hates him and the other part can't hate him because we all know what a sweet guy he really is." Natalia said, "We know he isn't a bad guy really... but his actions has made innocent people suffer."

"Think about how H is going to feel knowing his friend and colleague put his life at risk." Eric growled, "Damn, I could beat the shit of Ryan right now."

"Anyone know if the FBI has made a deal with him yet?" Walter asked.

"They have. On the condition that Horatio is found... alive... he will most likely not serve a prison sentence." Calleigh said, "Instead he will be in witness protection, most likely for years to come and probably relocated to another country."

"So he will walk free for what he did?" Walter asked sharply.

"He will never really be free. The FBI will monitor him for the rest of his life. But yes, he will probably never be in jail." Calleigh said, "His information is too valuable for the FBI who has been after Whitmore for years."

The team weren't sure how to feel about that information. On the one hand they wanted Ryan to go to jail like the crook he had turned out to be. On the other hand, they didn't want him to have to spend the rest of his life in prison.

"Well... I don't know what to think or feel about that." Natalia said and felt her phone vibrate, "Walter quick! Trace Kyle's phone."

"Why?"

"He sent me a text saying he has found Horatio!" Natalia exclaimed, "Whitmore is probably at the same place."

Walter had never typed so quickly on the computer before and after less than a minute they had a location. Calleigh called dispatch and told them to send every available unit and an ambulance to the location. Then they all ran to the garage and got inside a hummer.

Once outside the garage they saw almost every colleague they had within in the department get inside a car and drive towards the factory where Kyle and Horatio were. Natalia sent Kyle a text saying that they were on their way.

-I-

Thanks to the cover of the darkness and the absence of the moon lighting up the sky, Kyle and Horatio made it to Kyle's car. As gently as he could Kyle helped his father inside and strapped him to the passenger side. Kyle looked around nervously as he made his way to the driver's side. It had been at least two minutes since he had heard the gunshot and he knew that Whitmore was probably outside looking for them by now.

Kyle could feel his heart hammering in his chest as he started the car and drove it back on the dirt road that accessed the factory. He looked behind him but could see no-one following him.

"Dad? You awake?" He asked.

"Hmm." Horatio groaned.

Kyle looked over at his father. The man was barely conscious and Kyle knew he needed medical attention quickly. He reached over and squeezed his father's hand as he reached the end of the dirt road.

As Kyle turned on to the main road and passed the gas station he sighed in relief. He looked behind him again and still could see nothing. In the second it took him to look in the rearview mirror he never saw the car coming from the side.

The next thing Kyle felt the car get hit and start spinning out of control. The front window shattered and sent glass flying everywhere. The car finally stopped by the side of the road. Kyle looked over at his father, but couldn't get him to respond when he called his name. Then Kyle saw that they were standing at the edge of a smaller hill; but a hill big enough to flip the car over a few times.

Just as the rain started to pour down Kyle called his father's name and looked around. He couldn't see any headlights but then the smallest flicker of light alerted him to something on his side of the car. Inside a black SUV, with the headlights turned off, Whitmore smirked and had just lit a cigar. He pressed his foot down on the gas and headed straight for Kyle's side of the car.

"Oh shit, Dad! Wake up, get out of the car!" Kyle yelled as he tried to get his belt buckle to open.

The car came closer and Kyle knew that Whitmore was going to push them off the edge.

"Dad! Wake up, you need to get out!"

Kyle closed his eyes in fear as the car got closer and finally crashed into his car. He yelled for his father as the car went tumbling down the hill.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thanks very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 9**

Kyle groaned as he slowly started coming back to consciousness. His head hurt and he knew he was bleeding from a cut above his eye. He could feel the blood soaking half of his face. As he became more awake he also started feeling the pain from the cracked ribs and a dislocated knee. It was also then that he realized that he was still strapped to the driver's seat and that the car was upside down.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw his bloody hands covered with small cuts and bruises, probably because of the broken windshield. He groaned and he tried to take deep, calming breaths. His ribs ached with every breath and his vision was swimming as he moved his head around; he realized that he had a concussion.

He started to panic as he saw that the passenger seat was empty. His father wasn't there!

"Dad?" Kyle groaned, "Dad, where are you?"

Silence greeted him and Kyle looked around. He couldn't see anyone around and the only light came from his own car. Nu doubt Whitmore hadn't driven down the hill, but walked. Had he taken his father?

"Dad?" Kyle asked louder, "Dad, answer me!"

Kyle braced himself as best he could against the dashboard as he opened the seatbelt. He gasped in pain as his body sagged against the roof of the car and his injured leg was asked to take some of his weight. He crawled out of the car and prayed that his father was around somewhere and the team together with backup would arrive soon.

"Dad?" Kyle called out, "Dad, where are you?"

Kyle froze as cold steel bit into the back of his head. He looked up into the coldest eyes he had ever seen. Ross Whitmore didn't look happy at all and he grinned mischievously when he met Kyle's eyes.

"One word and I'll put a bullet through your brain." Whitmore warned.

-I-

The drive to Kyle's location would take some time even with more than thirty squad cars and a hummer with sirens on; driving as fast as they could. Whitmore had been smart to choose a location to hold Horatio that was outside of the city. It was obvious that he hadn't wanted to be disturbed and nobody would have been able to hear Horatio scream from where he had been held.

The GPS told them that they were getting close, but it still felt like it was taking forever for the people in the hummer. They were getting impatient and fidgety.

"I hate to say it, but are we there yet?" Walter asked.

He was in the backseat and couldn't see much from there.

"Almost. Ten more minutes." Eric said, "Whitmore had better be there."

"I hope Kyle got out in time with Horatio." Calleigh said, "And that Whitmore hasn't found out yet."

"Whitmore isn't going to go down without a fight." Eric said, "He'll do whatever he can to escape or make sure he never lives long enough to stand trial."

"He's a fucking coward then." Natalia growled.

"That he is. But if we have anything to do about it, we will make damn sure he lives." Eric said, "Though, sooner or later he is bound to be killed by one of his enemies."

"Oh yes, all those people that he has under his payroll or that he has blackmailed into helping him in exchange from keeping them out of jail. Nothing stops them from taking revenge when Whitmore has been exposed and caught." Natalia said, "I just hope Horatio isn't too badly hurt or that he has hurt Kyle."

"He'll pay for it if he has." Eric growled low.

The mood in the car was obvious; Whitmore was going to pay one way or the other. The team were family, ready to take a bullet for one another and if anybody hurt one of them; the others hurt too and felt the pain. Horatio was their leader and mentor. He meant the world to them and if Whitmore had killed him then the team would make sure that Whitmore would suffer for it.

"Not long left now." Calleigh said, "Almost there."

The others sighed in relief and mentally prepared to fight Whitmore. Around them in the other cars; their colleagues were also preparing to meet Whitmore and take him down.

-I-

"Get up!" Whitmore growled.

Kyle slowly stood up as best he could. He leaned against the car and lifted his dislocated knee from off the ground. Whitmore smirked and kicked his injured leg. Kyle screamed in pain and sagged down on the ground again.

"Get up and find your father." Whitmore snapped.

"Fuck you!" Kyle gasped, "You find him."

"Oh I will, and when I do he is going to find out the true meaning of pain." Whitmore growled.

Kyle took a moment to really look at Whitmore and memorize his face; just in case the asshole managed to escape later. He could see that Whitmore was injured as well. One didn't crash into a car twice and come out without injuries from it. Whitmore had an airbag burn on his cheek and was slightly holding his ribs; as if he had also cracked some. He had a cut on his other cheek and his upper forehead that were bleeding slightly.

As Whitmore walked around a little Kyle saw that he was limping too. Kyle knew that he now stood a better chance at overpowering Whitmore. Sure, Whitmore was not a small guy and could definitely put up a fight. But Kyle was much younger and leaner. He had more muscle strength than Whitmore. Their odds were more even now that Whitmore was also injured.

Whitmore stopped his pondering and walking around and turned to Kyle.

"Where is he?" He asked and pointed the gun at Kyle.

"I don't know. I'm wondering the same."

"That man is badly hurt and he couldn't just leave a car wreck like that." Whitmore said.

Kyle smiled. That was the first time Whitmore showed that he truly didn't know Horatio Caine. If anyone could crawl out of a car wreck while having just been beaten and tortured it was Horatio. Kyle also knew that his father was close. Hiding to make sure he attacked at the perfect moment. No way, Horatio would leave Kyle in the car unless he felt it was to make sure he could get at Whitmore.

"What are you smiling about?" Whitmore asked.

"You have no idea what my dad can do." Kyle smirked, "He is the strongest man you will ever meet. And he will beat the fucking crap out of you when he gets his hands on you."

"Oh, I don't think so." Whitmore said, "He will be busy crying over your dead body and while he weeps for you, I will have all the time I need to put a bullet through that carrot top."

Kyle's eyes widened as Whitmore stepped closer, his gun still pointed at him. Whitmore smirked.

"How do you think daddy will react when he sees your-"

Whitmore gasped as he was knocked to the ground. Kyle stared at the scene in front of him in shock at first. His father had jumped at Whitmore and was trying to get the gun away from him. Whitmore was strong and fighting back. Kyle moved to help when his father's voice stopped him.

"Kyle! Run up to the road!" Horatio yelled, "Get help!"

Kyle snapped out his trance and although he wanted to run he couldn't with his injured knee. So he crawled and dragged himself up the hill; sometimes jumping on one leg as fast as he could.

He heard his father and Whitmore struggling to get control of the gun. He looked back and saw Whitmore kick Horatio in the ribs, but not before Horatio managed to slam his head against Whitmore's face. Whitmore's nose broke and he cursed loudly while Horatio dug his nails into the hand holding the gun.

Kyle struggled and ignored the pain as he climbed up the hill. He was almost at the top and he could feel that the police were almost there too. Far away he saw the blinking lights of the sirens and smiled in relief.

He looked back once more just before reaching the top of the hill. His father and Whitmore were on the ground still. Horatio was putting his knee against Whitmore's ribs and Whitmore was trying to bit Horatio's hand as he tried to get the gun.

Kyle reached the top of the hill and saw police cars approaching. He waved his hands and cried of relief as he recognized the hummer. He jumped on one leg further down the road and saw the cars slowing down to stop next to him.

Natalia and Calleigh were out of the hummer before it had even completely stopped and both embraced Kyle.

"Are you hurt? Where is Horatio?" Calleigh asked.

"He is down the hill. He and Whitmore are fighting over a gun, you have to hurry! Dad told me to get help." Kyle rambled.

"We'll help him." Calleigh said as she signaled for officers to run down the hill to Horatio.

"Kyle! Don't ever worry me like that again." Natalia said and hugged him hard, "Two ambulances are on their way. You and Horatio will be okay."

"They have to help dad. He told me to get help." Kyle cried, "He and Whitmore are fighting over-"

Everyone went silent and froze momentarily as a gunshot echoed through the night.

 **To be continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thank you all very much for the reviews!**_

 **Sorry for the long wait for an update; there has been some trouble with the internet at home and so I haven't been able to upload a new chapter.**

 **Anyway, this is the penultimate chapter.**

 **Chapter 10**

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Calleigh and at least ten officers ran down the hill. They saw the crashed car that belonged to Kyle and with their flashlights illuminated two figures lying on the ground.

Calleigh heard Natalia scream for Horatio as she ran behind her. Calleigh could then only hear the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears as she got closer and closer. One man was Whitmore and on top of him was a redhead. She felt her heart sink as she realized that none of the two men were moving and tears were already making their way down her face and she got closer. The air around her and her fellows officers was filled with worry that Horatio was the one that had been shot. She glanced around at their faces as they all ran towards Whitmore and Horatio. They were all thinking the same thing and all of them were praying that Horatio was alive.

Finally they reached the two men and gently pulled Horatio off of Whitmore. Horatio gasped and groaned in pain. But he had no gunshot wound. They moved Horatio further away from the now dead body of Ross Whitmore; with a bullet wound right above his heart.

"Horatio? Can you hear me?" Calleigh asked.

"Cal-" He gasped and coughed.

Blood appeared on his lips and Calleigh realized that he most likely had a punctured lung. Horatio was having a hard time breathing and as he struggled to take in air, his ribs ached with the movement of his chest. It caused him to groan in pain. His head was aching from the concussion and his body was finally telling him that the beating Mason and given him, the electrocution from the stun gun and this recent fight was enough and that he needed medical attention.

Horatio's lungs had water in them still from when Mason had thrown cold water at him. He started shaking as everything finally caught up with him. The beating, the stunning, the ice cold water, the crash and the shock.

"Horatio!" Natalia exclaimed as she sat down on the other side of him.

Horatio's eyes tried to focus on her and he gave her a weak smile.

"Hi s-sweetie." He croaked and coughed.

"Shh, don't talk. Just concentrate on staying awake and breathing." Natalia said and ran her fingers through his hair.

Both Natalia and Calleigh noticed his shivering and felt how cold he was. He was also covered in dirt and most likely had bruises all over his body. Natalia noticed the strange way his shoulder was aiming and realized that it was dislocated.

"I'm s-sorry." Horatio slurred; finding it harder and harder to stay awake.

"It's okay. You have nothing to be sorry for." Natalia said; silently crying as she watched her lover struggle.

"Is Kyle?" Horatio asked.

"He will be okay. He is of course worried sick about you." Natalia said, "He has some injuries, but he is awake and is being cared for."

Natalia knew that trying to tell Horatio that Kyle wasn't injured would never work. She would never lie to him about his son. Horatio knew she was telling the truth and nodded weakly. His eyelids were getting heavy and he felt it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

As he started gasping for air he felt both Natalia and Calleigh squeeze his hands tightly. Then someone asked them to step away. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose. Horatio vaguely noticed someone lighting into his eyes and calling his name before he completely blacked out.

Natalia and Calleigh hugged each other as they watched the paramedics work on Horatio. His breathing was getting worse and they radioed for a helicopter. Natalia started crying and watched as the paramedics realized that Horatio needed even more help breathing so they inserted a tube down his throat.

"Is Alexx at the hospital?" Natalia asked.

"Yes, she is waiting for Horatio to arrive, together with the best team she has." Calleigh said and wiped away some of her own tears.

The two women waited until Horatio had been loaded into the helicopter before going back up the hill and joining Eric and Walter. The two men were doing their best to keep Kyle inside the ambulance as the young man was desperate in trying to go to his father.

"How is he? Please, somebody tell me. I saw the helicopter." Kyle demanded.

"Kyle." Natalia said, "He is in bad shape, but he will be fine. Alexx will tend to him."

She knew that knowing that Alexx would be the one to take care of his father would make Kyle calmer.

"He has trouble breathing, but with Alexx and her team's help he will be okay." Natalia said.

Kyle nodded and then slumped against the gurney.

"I should have helped him." Kyle said, "I shouldn't have gone for help."

"Oh Kyle, don't. You did what your father told you to do." Calleigh said, "You did nothing wrong. Whitmore is gone and your father will recover."

"Still, I can't help thinking that I should have stayed." Kyle sighed.

"Actually, if you had we might have missed you." Eric said "We didn't know you were here until we saw you. We were on our way to the factory."

"Exactly, so you did help your father Kyle." Walter said, "You saved your father and yourself."

Kyle smiled slightly. Knowing deep down that they were telling him the truth. The paramedics tending to Kyle finally decided that enough was enough and that Kyle could wait no longer. He needed to go to the hospital. Kyle asked Natalia to ride with him in the ambulance and she jumped right inside it.

The others would secure the scene first before getting the night shift to help them process it. Then they would join Natalia at the hospital. On the ride over the hospital Kyle fell asleep almost instantly and Natalia smiled; he looked so much like his father when he was sleeping.

-I-

Natalia was pacing in the hospital waiting room. She was waiting for news on both Horatio and Kyle. Alexx's very capable colleague Doctor Liam Jacobs was taking care of Kyle. While she was pacing she didn't notice Frank approaching.

Frank had been assigned by the Chief to oversee the investigation with the evidence collected by Mason. He had interrogated every crooked cop that had been named in the evidence and arrested several of the people Mason had proof had been involved with Whitmore.

"Nat." He said.

Natalia jumped slightly. She embraced Frank and thanked him for coming. Frank felt slightly guilty though for not having been around when they had gone to find Horatio. But the Chief had wanted Frank to work only on what was now being called the "Mason-case". Still, Frank felt he should have been there. Horatio was his best friend and like a brother to him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you found him." Frank sighed, "I was on the other side of town when the call came that you had a location and I drove as fast as I could. Then Eric called and asked me to come here instead."

"Oh Frank. Don't worry." Natalia said, "I know that the Chief put you on the Mason-case and that is equally important."

"I'm not sure about that." Frank sighed, "I mean, Horatio is my best friend and while you were trying to find him I was interrogating and arresting people with the FBI."

"And finding evidence needed to put several asshole away." Natalia said, "Frank, you have helped the case. And trust me, we weren't getting any closer at finding Horatio. Kyle did the work. He found him and then we traced his phone."

"Still-"

"Frank, listen to me." Natalia smiled, "I know how much Horatio means to you. He knows that too. He would never hold this against you. You have done nothing wrong."

Frank sighed and nodded. It still felt weird to have been doing so many other things when your best friend had been missing. However, he also knew that Natalia was right. Had he been with the team it would have been just the five of them sitting in the lab trying to find Horatio somehow and still Kyle's text would have been the way they finally did it.

"You got any news yet?" Frank asked.

"Only that Kyle is being tended to; x-rayed to see if he has any broken bones or dislocations other than his knee." Natalia said, "And Horatio is also being x-rayed, but probably won't require surgery."

"I heard he had trouble breathing." Frank said.

"Yeah, seems he swallowed a lot of water... Mason must have tortured him with it." Natalia said quietly, "And he most likely has a punctured lung. Alexx promised to tell me more as soon as she could; you know how she usually waits to tell news until she has all the information she needs."

Frank nodded. They both knew that they were in for a long wait. Alexx wouldn't tell them anymore than she had already said until she had definite news to give them. She wouldn't come running every now and then with only bits and pieces of information. Instead she would wait until she could tell them everything at once.

"You want coffee?" Frank asked.

"Please, thank you." Natalia smiled.

Frank went to get some coffee and when he came back the two of them saw in silence and just waited.

-I-

Kyle groaned and tried to open his eyes. It felt like his eyelids weighed a thousand tons and it took almost a minute before he could them to open. He quickly shut them again at the bright light.

"Sorry, I'll cover the windows with blinds." He heard a voice say.

Kyle groaned again and when he opened his eyes this time he found it was much better. His eyes landed on Walter and Calleigh. They both smiled at him.

"Hi." He croaked, "What day is it?"

"Friday." Calleigh said, "You've been asleep the whole night. Drugged up on painkillers and sedatives."

"I've only been here one day?" Kyle asked, making sure he hadn't missed a whole week of his life and a whole week of finding out how his dad was doing.

"Yep, I promise." Calleigh smiled, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been in a car crash." Kyle groaned.

"Well, you have a dislocated knee, two cracked ribs, a concussion, internal bruising and a bruised diaphragm." Walter said.

"Not to mention a cut above your eye and cuts and bruises on your hands." Calleigh said.

"Well, I feel like shit." Kyle said, "How is dad?"

"Your father is doing quite okay. They are keeping him sedated right now to allow his lung to heal." Calleigh said, "He has three cracked ribs, bruises both internally and externally, concussion. He swallowed a lot of water and so they had to drain his lungs from it. Also, his heart was struggling from having been electrocuted with a stun gun."

"But he will be okay?" Kyle asked, worried.

"Yes, he will be." Calleigh smiled, "It will take some time. But he will be."

"Can I see him?" Kyle asked.

"Later yes, right now you need to eat lunch." Walter said and pointed at the food tray next to the bed.

"Kyle, we know you want to see your dad right away, but you have to make sure you stay healthy as well." Calleigh said, "They will probably wake your father up tomorrow afternoon or the day after that."

"And Whitmore?" Kyle asked.

"In the morgue." Walter said, "We processed the crash site and the factory. Case closed as far your father and you are involved."

"I know I probably shouldn't say it, but I'm glad Whitmore is dead." Kyle said quietly.

"Well, we understand how you feel." Walter said.

Deep down they all felt the same way. While Kyle ate they told him that he would get to visit his father afterwards. Kyle asked how Natalia was doing and they told him that she wasn't sleeping or eating much, but they were working on that. They were hoping that Kyle would be able to persuade her to sleep and eat now that he was awake. Natalia had switched between watching over Kyle and Horatio all night and morning.

When Kyle had finished eating, Walter and Calleigh helped him into a wheelchair and took him to see his father. When they saw that Natalia was there as well and sleeping Kyle put up a hand to stop them.

"Let's not disturb them." He smiled, "I just had to see for myself that he was okay."

In fact his father looked much better than when Kyle had found him. Sure, he had tube down his throat to help him breathe and he still looked like shit; but even then he looked better than before.

"We can go back." Kyle said, "I can come back when Natalia is awake. It's important she takes care of herself."

Of course Kyle knew how important this was for another reason than the others, but it wasn't his secret to tell. He just smiled and asked them to return to his room. Chatting happily now, Kyle spent some hours with Walter and Calleigh. Eric and Frank came by for a visit as well.

Later in the evening his visited his father with Natalia and he felt reassured yet again that in time his father would be okay.

 **To be continued...**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thanks very, very much for the reviews!**_

 **Chapter 11**

 _(Told from Horatio's point of view)_

I know I'm safe now. I am in a hospital and I know Alexx is my primary doctor. I sleep a lot, but still have moments when I am awake. I just don't know how to make anyone notice that I am awake. My eyelids feel like they weigh a ton and I just don't seem to have the strength to open them. When I try to squeeze the hand of whoever is holding mine, my fingers usually just twitch.

I'm exhausted and drift in and out of sleep all the time. What I do pick up then I am awake is that I have been sedated for a few days to allow my body to recover a little. Probably a good idea since I am a terrible patient and don't like spending time in hospital. I also remember Alexx telling someone that while I was no longer sedated, I would sleep a lot because of the pain killers and the fact that my body had been through quite a rough physical ordeal.

It hurts to hear the worry in Kyle's voice when he is either talking to me or Natalia. I can tell he finds it difficult to see me like this and he is doing his best to hold it together. I want to wake up more so I can tell him that it's okay and that I am proud of him. He saved my life.

I could be mad at him for risking his own life to help me, but just like I would have done, he went in search of me and when he found me; he did what he could to help. He did so well, without him I'd surely be dead now. I remember Eric talking to me about how Kyle had really been the one that made sure Whitmore and I was found. The team was looking for me, but had not been close to finding me before Kyle had sent them a text to track his phone to the warehouse where I had been held.

I remember Calleigh talking about how Whitmore's associates had been arrested one by one and a lot of them were facing trial and ultimately jail time for what they had done. Whitmore was gone though and that was a good thing. He had a criminal empire built up and without him the city would be safer. I couldn't remember shooting him though. We were struggling and we fell. We must have both been holding the gun and as we fell it must have been pointing at him as it went off.

I drifted away as Calleigh mentioned something about Ryan though. I desperately wanted to hear about it, because I didn't know anything other than that he had been working for Whitmore. But, unfortunately I drifted off.

I did get information though at a later time. Walter and Frank were in the room and Walter was updating Frank on how Ryan was doing. Apparently the FBI had made a deal with him for his testimony against Whitmore even though Whitmore was dead. Ryan knew a lot about Whitmore's business and the FBI felt that could be useful.

Ryan was gone though. Nobody knew exactly where he was, probably not even in the country anymore. He would be in witness protection for a long time and we would probably never see him again. I don't know exactly how to feel about Ryan. On the one hand I am glad he is alive and well, that he hadn't been truly evil and actually wanted me dead (I remember hearing Eric talk about this). On the other hand he had put my life at risk several times and not to mention discrediting the lab. We might have several investigations reopened because of him and people, killers, put back on the streets that shouldn't ever be out again. Maybe we could survive that if we only focused on the cases where Ryan had been the only investigator. We rarely work alone on a case, so if we were lucky it might not be that many cases to go through again.

I drifted off again as Frank expressed the same thoughts about Ryan that I had. He was family and a friend, or at least had been and now... I don't know.

It is a new day when I awake again, because I can feel the sun shining through the window on my face. It's a nice feeling and I sigh. As I do this I feel a hand squeeze mine and I try to squeeze back; but can't. I feel silky smooth hair on my face as her lips touch my cheek. I know it's Natalia and she whispers good morning in my ear. I try to show her that I'm awake but can't seem to even make a sound. She runs a hand through my hair and whispers to me that everything is good and that she hopes I wake up soon. I fight to move and my fingers twitch just before I drift off once again. Damn!

Hours must have passed by the time I yet again wake up. This time though Natalia is not alone. It takes me a while to come out of the fog, but when I do I hear that my son is in the room. Kyle sounds better now. I still want to see him though, hold him and make sure he really is okay. Instead I focus on getting my eyes opened and listening to what they're saying.

"It's been a week. Shouldn't he wake up soon?" Kyle asks.

"He will Kyle. Just give him time. His finger twitch because he's trying to move. Alexx thinks he is awake sometimes, but just not able to move or open his eyes." Natalia says.

"I know I just... wish he would wake up." Kyle sighs.

"Me too." Natalia smiles.

I am so glad Natalia and Kyle get along. Thank heaven that they like each other. I know Kyle sees Natalia as sort of a second mother. I wish I could hold them both now. I can feel my eyes lids fluttering now... finally!

"Oh by the way Natalia..." Kyle hesitates, "I know."

"Know about what?" Natalia asks.

"I know about the baby." Kyle says.

"Kyle..."

"It was just a hunch at first. But then I saw your hand covering your stomach as if protecting it." Kyle says, "And then yesterday I saw you coming out of the maternity ward before going to see dad."

"Well, I uh... uh... yes, I am..." Natalia says, "Are you okay with it?"

"Are you kidding? It's the best thing ever." Kyle smiles, "I'm going to be a big brother!"

Natalia sighs in relief, "Thank you. Do you think Horatio will be mad?"

"Never! I'm guessing it wasn't planned though?"

"No."

"Well, he will be over the moon." Kyle smiles.

I am stunned! Pregnant! Natalia is carrying our child. I can't stay like this. I need to wake up! I need to fucking wake up! Is this really happening? Oh god... I'm going to be a dad again! I need to open my fucking eyes! Open them!

-I-

Natalia was relieved. She had been fearing that Kyle would be angry or even Horatio would be angry. The baby wasn't planned and it just most likely happened on one of the days when she and Horatio simply forgot to have protection. It happened sometimes that after long cases Natalia forgot to take her pills and then one those days they forgot to wear a condom.

According to the midwife she as only seven weeks along. She hadn't told anyone else yet. She felt Horatio and Kyle needed to know first. She just wasn't sure how to tell Horatio. A small part of her was still afraid that he would be angry with her and she wouldn't be able to handle that right now.

Days had passed and they had all noticed how Horatio had struggled to wake. His fingers would twitch and his eyes move behind his eyelids as he struggled to wake up. But then he would drift off to sleep again and the next time he woke he would struggle again.

"Do you have a picture?" Kyle asked.

"Absolutely. Although, it doesn't show much yet." Natalia said and handed over a picture, "I'm only seven weeks along."

"Dad will be- Dad!" Kyle exclaimed.

Blue eyes were finally open and looked back and forth between Kyle and Natalia. Kyle immediately put a straw between his father's lips and watched as the redhead drank some water. Horatio moaned in pain a little as his body came back to life and then looked at Natalia.

"Good evening love. Oh, we've been waiting for this." Natalia smiled and cried happy tears.

She carefully gave her love a hug and Kyle squeezed his father's hand. Kyle smiled as he felt his father squeeze back. When Natalia pulled back, Horatio cleared his throat.

"Is it true?" He asked in a raspy voice.

"Is what true?" Natalia asked.

Horatio reached out his other hand and out it over Natalia's belly. Natalia cried as she nodded and Kyle smiled as he watched his father's eyes get moist.

"I'm going to give you some time alone." He said, "I'll be back dad."

Kyle knew that Natalia and Horatio needed this. He looked back just before leaving and saw both of them crying happy tears and Horatio embracing Natalia in a hug. While the two of them talked, Kyle texted the team to let them know that Horatio was awake and then called Alexx. He knew the good doctor would want to examine Horatio now that he was awake, but he asked her to wait just a few minutes.

When Kyle went back again, he found Horatio and Natalia talking happily. He could see that his father was tired though, but he also knew that Horatio was too excited to sleep again.

"Hi, Alexx is on her way." Kyle said, as he sat down on the chair he had previously occupied.

"Kyle, thank you." Horatio said, his voice still raspy.

"For what?"

"Saving me. Looking after Natalia." Horatio said, "I should probably be angry at you for running off alone and looking for me when you had no protection. But without you I would be dead."

"I couldn't stay away dad." Kyle said, "You would have done the same for me."

"Yes, without hesitation." Horatio smiled and gently ruffled his son's hair, "Does everyone else know about...?"

"No, just the two of you for now." Natalia said, "We'll tell them later when the first trimester is over."

Horatio nodded at that and yawned just as the door opened and Alexx walked in.

"Well, hello there mister." She smiled, "Finally awake and ready for an examination I think."

"If you insist, Alexx." Horatio grinned.

"Just a quick one. Then you will sleep."

"I just woke up." Horatio protested.

"Yes, but I can see how tired you are sweetie." Alexx said, "Don't worry, you will start being more awake from now on."

Horatio nodded and let his friend examine him. Alexx was right of course by the end of the examination Horatio could barely keep his eyes opened.

 **Epilogue**

Horatio could honestly say that he had been scared. He had never been in part of a birth before and all those emotions running through him at the time was a new experience. He had been scared that something would go wrong with Natalia or the baby.

However, things had worked out perfectly and after only five hours Horatio was a proud father of a little boy. Natalia had been a real trooper and Horatio was so proud of her. They had both cried as their baby's cried filled the delivery room. Horatio hands had been shaking as he cut the umbilical cord. But once he got to hold his son it all went away.

Little Theo Kyle Caine had entered the world two weeks early and with a loud scream. He had some red hair on his head and his father's blue eyes. But the rest of his features were all Natalia. He had quieted the moment the nurse had handed him over to his parents. It had taken some time before Natalia and Horatio had stopped crying of joy.

Next to cry was big brother Kyle as he went to congratulate the new parents just a few hours after the birth. It was late in the evening and so the team had decided to give the parents some time alone and visit in the following day. However, new big brother was absolutely a must be visit.

Kyle was instantly filled with a sensation of pride and a feeling he recognized as protectiveness. From now on Theo would always have his brother there to back him up, protect and guide him. And Theo could never ask for better parents to help him through life. Kyle was also happy that this time around his father was allowed to be there from the start.

Kyle and Horatio had talked about all of those missing years that had passed between them. How sorry they both were that they had never know about each other from the start. But, the past was the past and unfortunately they couldn't change that. Kyle was so happy though, to have his father in his life now.

"He is so tiny." Kyle whispered.

"That he is." Horatio smiled.

"I wonder if he gets to keep his red hair as he gets older." Kyle said.

"Uh, I hope not." Horatio said, "I was teased because of it growing up."

"Yeah, but nobody will ever tease Theo because then they will have to answer to me." Kyle grinned, "Seriously, I hope it stays red."

They were whispering because Natalia was sleeping. Horatio and Kyle were sitting on either side of the bed and Theo hadn't cried since being born. Theo actually feel asleep in his brother's arms.

"So when is the next one?" Kyle asked.

"Kyle!" Horatio chuckled lowly, "We just got him. Besides, I think that is mostly up Natalia as she will be the one doing all the work. Being pregnant and then being in labor."

Kyle grinned. He knew there would be more babies to come. He and Natalia had already talked about how Natalia wished to have more in the future. And everybody knew how much Horatio wished for a big family, so Kyle would definitely have more brothers or sister.

Kyle handed baby Theo over to his father and stood up.

"I'll be back tomorrow dad." Kyle smiled, "Tell Natalia I said hi."

"Will do, son." Horatio smiled, "See you tomorrow."

Kyle waved as he left the room. Horatio looked down at his precious newborn and kissed his brow. Right now he couldn't be happier. He was physically healed after Mason and Whitmore's beatings. Whitmore's associates were in jail. Horatio was back at work and had been promoted to Captain a few months ago as the lab was going through some re-organization.

Being a captain was mostly paperwork, but still being in charge of the lab. Basically as a Lieutenant he had been doing all the paperwork a Captain normally would do and finally the higher ups had felt that he lab needed a full-time captain with a Lieutenant still there as a operative leader.

It had been a little heartbreaking to accept the promotion because Horatio would miss the field work; although he was still allowed to do fieldwork when he had the time or there was a high profile case. But, he had felt it was time; especially with baby Theo on the way.

Calleigh was doing a wonderful job as Lieutenant and as Horatio still had his office in the lab he was able to keep a good contact with his team still. They were after all still his family.

There had been a trying time at first when word of Ryan's betrayal had become news, but the lab had managed to avoid re-opening his cases when it turned out he hadn't worked alone on any other cases other than those he had told the FBI about; which were cases that had never been solved in the first place anyway.

Where Ryan was they had no idea. However, the FBI had given Horatio letters addressed to every member of the team where Ryan apologized and hoped that they would forgive him one day. Horatio had already forgiven Ryan and although not every member of the team had done the same yet, he knew that in time they all would.

As Theo stirred and whimpered, Horatio snapped out of trance and gently nudged Natalia. She slowly opened her eyes and yawned.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Late." Horatio chuckled, "I think our little guy is hungry."

Natalia smiled and gently took Theo from Horatio. She moved over to the side of the bed and indicated for Horatio to join her. Silently they watched as Theo fed and then silently observed them and the room; they couldn't be happier.

"I love you." Natalia smiled.

"I love you too."

 _ **The End**_


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